Bloodlines
by Renol
Summary: The last full blooded Saiyan pays Earth a visit. Goku, Vegeta & the rest, meet the son of the Legendary Super Saiyan. Takes place a few years after the Buu saga. OC, please R&R.
1. Prologue

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

_Age 727_

The planet Vegeta was reddish planet that was circled by two small moons. It was the home planet of the powerful Saiyan race. In one of the many maternity wards found on the planet, two Saiyan doctors were talking about the latest batch of newborns. Most of the infants were of average strengths; however one of them grabbed their attention.

"Have you seen the readings from Mizu's kid?" asked the tall doctor to his shorter assistant.

"She's got a fighting power level of 10, but her brain waves are amazing. Have you seen her?"

The taller doctor nodded, "It's as if she seems fully self-aware. What name did they give her?"

"Cinna," read the assistant from a chart.

The taller doctor nodded absent mindedly, "Gather all available data on her, so we can present it to King Vegeta."

* * *

_Age 736_

In the gloomy throne room of Planet Vegeta, the king sat on his throne, wearing his royal armor and red cape, he was mildly listening to a formal report given to him by his science advisor.

"So the daughter of Mizu does posses telepathic abilities?" Asked the King somewhat bored.

"Correct sir. All testing done shows that what she lacks in strength she makes up for being able to read her opponents mind."

"Where is she currently?"

"As per your orders, we've sent her to our distant outpost in the southeastern sector, away from Freeza's territory."

"Good," the King sat up from his throne and walked towards an adjacent room. The advisor followed close behind. Standing at the threshold, the King observed his young son, who at the moment was sparring with a royal trainer. King Vegeta watched quietly for a few moments before speaking again.

"Who else knows about her abilities?"

"Aside from you sir, only myself and her bodyguard Shalot," the advisor answered. The King nodded in his approval. "Have you also destroyed all records concerning Cinna?"

"Yes, all digital and physical records have been destroyed," the advisor lowered his head. "We've also disposed of the doctors who first discovered her abilities."

Nodding again, the King stepped away from the training room and went back to his throne. Once there, the King let out an exasperated sigh.

"I know you originally questioned my motives Daikonno," the King addressed his advisor. "But I couldn't let Freeza know about her."

"I understand," started the advisor before he was cut-off by the King.

"I had to send Tarble away under the pretense of his weak ability," the King looked out a window into the night sky. "If I handed him over to Freeza, he would have been eaten alive. Unfortunately for Vegeta he can't be that lucky."

The King shifted his gaze back to the training room, his face openly bitter. The advisor stood by quietly, not wanting to interrupt.

"We've served Freeza for so long, and he is now demanding my son to be put under his command. The prince of all Saiyan's to be made a slave for him," the King clenched his fists. "I have no choice but to give in to his demands. As strong as we are, we're no match for Freeza."

He smirked, "However my son does have my pride. So I know he can withstand Freeza long enough until we can rescue him, and overthrow Freeza. On that day, we will take our rightful place as rulers of the galaxy."

Daikonno stood quietly; already aware of the troubles the King was currently having, hearing the rumors of Freeza's demands. The King looked at his advisor again, his face taking on the normal frown it usually held.

"If there's nothing else I would ask you to leave me be," the king dismissing him with a simple wave of his hand. The advisor simply bowed and walked out of the throne room.

* * *

_Age 754_

In the darkness of space, a lone space pod was travelling towards the southern galaxy. Inside the space pod, the last Saiyan woman was in a deep sleep. Her name was Cinna, and she had been on the run for the last 17 years of her life.

After the destruction of Planet Vegeta, Shalot had moved her from their outpost to a more isolated planet. He did not believe the story of an asteroid destroying their homeworld, and knew Freeza was behind the genocide. When Cinna turned 15, she was told the truth about why she was forced to flee from her home world, away from her family. She understood about the power she possessed and how dangerous it would have been had Freeza had gotten a hold of her.

However there isolation was broken two years later, when a contingent of Freeza's forces discovered them. Her guard held them off long enough for her to get away. The last memory she had of him was watching behind the glass of her space pod as he was cut down by the beams of Freeza's men, helpless as the pod took off into space.

As per Shalot's instructions, she set-off towards the East Galaxy as that was beyond Freeza's influence. For the next few years, Cinna struggled to stay alive in the foreign galaxy. She would routinely ally herself with space pirates on raiding parties to get needed supplies or currency to trade with. Other times she would go off on her own, raiding primitive worlds. She would still look over her shoulder, still paranoid that Freeza's forces will invade the galaxy and take over as he had done with the northern galaxy.

Cinna survived over 10 years living as a nomad; until one day she heard word from some pirates of a few surviving Saiyans founding a new Planet Vegeta. Curiosity got the best of her and decided to travel to the southern galaxy to see if she could reconnect with her remaining brethren.

The space pod had reached orbital distance from the planet and was preparing to enter the atmosphere, when it woke up its passenger. She awoke to observe the blue planet, before everything turned red as the pod began its descent. After a few minutes the pod broke through and touched down on a barren strip of land. Its door opened, Cinna stepped out and stretched out her body taking in the blue skies of the planet.

Cinna stood at 5'7"; her body was toned and slightly pale, but not overly muscular making her a quick fighter. It also helped that she taped down her bosoms so it would not slow her down in combat. Her face was round, but she maintained a perpetual scowl to keep others away. The wind blew through her black hair, which was kept at shoulder length and was tied in a simple pony tail to keep it out of the way during fights. Her attire consisted of standard Saiyan armor that was gold and black, while wearing black shorts, and a white muscle shirt underneath the armor. She had her tail wrapped around her waist. Her deep purple eyes looked over the terrain not finding anything of interest.

"Pretty desolate," she spoke to herself, her voice feminine with an edge to it. Cinna pressed the button on the scouter she wore and tried finding other Saiyans. The device took moments to find two strong ki levels; they were three hundred miles northwest of where she landed. She took to the air and went in that direction.

As Cinna flew over the terrain, the surface changed from a desert, to a forest, and then to a demolished city. Seeing the destruction of the buildings, she wondered what kind of battle this place saw, and how many of her people were left alive. Her old guard said that Prince Vegeta was sent to work for Freeza some time before their planet's destruction. She had wondered if Freeza killed him off afterwards.

Cinna snapped out of her thoughts as she came close to the source of the ki levels. She was coming up to a castle overlooking a cliff. At the entrance she saw two figures that appeared to be waiting for her. Flipping in mid-air she landed on her feet and quickly sized up the Saiyains.

One was around her height, with a muscular frame and heavily tanned skin. His hair was spiky as it sat on a round face that looked haggard, and sported a mustache. This person also wore green armor, black shorts, and a white cape. The most distinguishing feature were the eyes, or more correctly his right dark eye, as the left eye was permanently closed and had a vertical scar running along it.

The other was taller, with a less tanned body, but was very muscular. His face was angular and looked young. He also had long black hair that had a few spikes. Unlike the shorter Saiyan, he only wore red flowing pants that were held up with a gold waist band, and had gold jewelry adorning his body. The main piece appeared to be a golden band that was around his forehead. The taller one's eyes were also black, but they look devoid of emotion. Normally that would have raised a red flag, however her eyes travelled back to broad shoulders and naked chest, appreciating the muscles he had.

'He looks like he's in his late teens. I wonder if he found a mate yet,' she thought to herself before mentally shaking herself to stay focused. Deciding to break the ice, she spoke up.

"So this is the new Planet Vegeta?"

"Yes," answered the older man. "I'm Paragus, and this is my son Broly."

"I'm Cinna, daughter of Mizu," she replied with a slight bow.

"I remember Mizu, he was a strong warrior. We fought together when we purged the planet Arkaria."

Cinna nodded and look at the compound asking, "So is Prince Vegeta here?"

"No, we don't know his whereabouts. But we hope we can find him soon so can claim his title. In the meantime we can show you where you can accommodate yourself," Paragus gestured her towards the opening of the building. She followed wondering if other Saiyans will show up, not sensing when Broly raised his fist and struck her in the back of the head. Cinna crumbled to the floor completely knocked out.

Paragus turned around with an evil smile on his face, as he gazed on the prone body of Cinna. He was pleased his plan worked as expected. After conquering this planet, he had heard rumors of a female Saiyan being seen in the East Galaxy. It would have been impossible to track her down there, but would be easy to lure her here.

"Broly, take her to the lab down below so Krang can look her over."

His son silently picked her up and carried her down a set of stairs. Paragus followed, still smiling, as he planned out his next moves to get revenge on Vegeta, and conquering the universe with a renewed Saiyan race.

* * *

_One month later_

The night was moonless so the countryside was shrouded in near total darkness. Cinna silently exited the compound and flew to the space port a mile away, that's where her space pod was kept. She knew it was there, as she read the minds of the guards.

Cinna had a rough month. When she awoke from the knock to her head; she found herself restrained. A purple octopoda named Krang, was running scans on her, while Paragus watched. She was lucky Krang failed to discover her telepathic abilities, though she was troubled when he told Paragus that she was healthy and fertile.

Her fears were confirmed when she read Paragus' mind and discovered the truth. He and his son were ordered dead by King Vegeta for fear that Broly was the legendary Super Saiyan. Shortly before Freeza destroyed the planet, Broly used his infant powers to save himself and his father. She also discovered his plans on seeking vengeance on Prince Vegeta, and his plans on creating an heir to Broly so he could have more Super Saiyans in his quest to conquer the universe. Those plans were hinged on her, as she was the last female Saiyan.

Cinna also found out that Broly was under the control of his father, because of his sociopathic mind. Despite his calm appearance, Cinna read his mind and was able to see the psycho that laid dormant in his mind. His only goals were to destroy any plant he comes across and kill a Saiyan named Kakarrot. She was fearful that Paragus would have Broly violate her to impregnate her. However Krang recommended artificial insemination, as they wouldn't want to run the risk of losing control of Broly.

She was heavily restrained, so she couldn't fight them off when they drugged her and performed their experiments. All she could do was bide her time until they let their guard down so she could make her escape. That moment came after a few weeks as they put her in a locked cell when they felt she no longer was a risk for escape. With her telepathic powers she knew what time and night the patrols were at their weakest. So on the 26th day since arriving on the planet, she faked an illness to draw attention from a guard. As soon as he opened her cell, she was able to grab the guard in a choke hold and snapped his neck before he called out to the others. After that, all it took was skulking around the compound avoiding the guards and finding the first opening into the night sky.

Cinna silently cursed herself for not reading their minds when she first arrived; the excitement of reuniting with survivors of her race clouded her judgment. As she neared the space port, she sensed a single guard patrolling the area. That was something else Cinna learned from the two Saiyans; she discovered that they could sense ki without the use of a scouter. She self-learned the technique using what she gleaned from Paragus' mind and used it when she was sneaking out.

As she reached the port she dropped from the sky and struck the guard in the face completely knocking him out. She quickly ran to her pod and opened it quickly stepping inside. Her hands flew at lightning speed over the controls to warm up the craft and take off. After a moment the pod levitated in the air and took off into space. Once the craft was a hundred million miles away from the planet she set her destination to a trading outpost that was on the northern sector side the southern galaxy.

Cinna frowned as she really wanted to go straight back to the eastern galaxy, however that would not work out. Krang's experiments were successful, she was pregnant, which meant she had eight months until birth. At first, she wanted nothing more than to get rid of it, but a small voice in her mind stopped her. Even though what was growing inside of her was conceived against her will; that small voice told her that it was going to be the last Saiyan ever born. Despite her pride, she had admitted to herself that she had been lonely ever since Shalot was killed a decade ago, and having a child of her own would keep her company. It also wouldn't hurt to have an extra set of eyes to watch her back.

She decided to keep the child, but that would mean she needed faster transportation, as her space pod would take a year and a half to travel to the east galaxy. Not wanting to risk the pregnancy while she was in a hibernated state, she decided to travel to a local trading post in the southern galaxy to steal a faster ship. She learned of the outpost from one of the guards while in her cell. The trip there would take a few days, so she set the hibernation controls to wake her when she reached her destination.

As sleep started to overtake her, she came to a resolution to herself, that her child will not know the identity of their father. She knew her child would get curious and seek out Broly, and the last thing she wanted was for that psycho to be anywhere her child. Cinna finally fell asleep as the space pod travelled through space taking her to an uncertain future.

To be continued.


	2. Arrival

**Author's Note: This is set months after the events of the OVA "Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!", if you haven't seen it yet, look it up on YouTube.**

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_July 23__rd__, Age 776_

The Terran system was not well visited in the northern galaxy. Rumors said that King Cold and his son Freeza went there looking for a Saiyan named Goku, and were not heard from since. Survivors of the tyrant's reign of terror did not bother investigating. They feared to find out if Freeza was still alive, or if he was dead, to face whatever killed him. It was this fear that kept most aliens from visiting for 12 years, until this particular day.

A lone spaceship was travelling through the silence of space, passing the gas giant Jupiter, on its way to Earth. Unlike the space pods or King Cold's ship that travelled in this system previously; this ship had a more conventional design. It was a 220 foot long half-cylindrical gray ship with two delta wings; the top of it had a sloped pointed front, while the end of it housed half a dozen blue glowing engines. The bottom half of it was completely flat with a black surface.

On the front of the ship behind black glass, sat a lone pilot in the cockpit; wearing a blue space suit and white helmet, he sat before a bank of computer displays that showed various data on the condition of the ship. Ignoring those, the pilot was concentrating on what lay beyond the window, as he gripped a flight stick and throttle. A red light flashed on the console and a warning flashed on the cockpit window.

**Warning: Asteroid field ahead! **

**Warning: Collision danger!**

"Recommended course of action," a cold mechanical voice announced. "Reduce speed and follow highlighted flight path."

The pilot pulled back on the throttle with his right hand, the ship slowed down to half its original speed; while the left hand moved the flight stick in the direction of a green line that was projected onto the windshield. The ship moved effortlessly around the various asteroids and cleared the field after a few minutes; the warnings disappeared. Once sure there was no immediate danger, the pilot increased the ship back to full speed toward the original destination.

As the craft sailed past Mars, the computer announced that it would be within Earth orbit in five minutes. Once there, the pilot made the ship come to a complete stop, so the computer could do an analysis of the planet. The computer performed its task for a moment before displaying relevant information.

**Name: Terra Prime**

**Native Name: Earth**

**Type: Class M**

**Population: 6 Billion**

**Surface composition: 71% salt water. 29% land mass divided between three continents and smaller islands.**

**Ki signatures: 5 high levels detected; 99% probability of Saiyan origin. 5 lower levels also detected, likely Terran origin. **

The pilot absorbed the information for a few moments, coming to a decision. Then moved the ship forward and angled the underside towards the surface. After a few moments the ship lit up in red fire as it began to enter the atmosphere.

* * *

On Kami's Lookout the Namekian Piccolo, was in a meditative state. He wore his usual clothing, which consisted of a dark purple gi, white turban, and weighted white cape. His mind was deep in the spiritual plane, sensing out nearly all the life forms on the planet; however his eye's bulged out when he sensed an unfamiliar ki entering the planet. He stood up and quickly scanned the heavens when he caught sight of the glowing red ship as it descended towards the Earth. Dende, the Earth's guardian was running towards Piccolo, with Mr. Popo in tow.

"Piccolo…" the guardian started, but the taller Namekian cut him off.

"I know; I just saw the ship pass by. I'm about to go welcome them," he turned to take off.

"Before you do anything rash, I didn't sense any evil from them."

Piccolo only grunted and blasted off in the direction of the ship. He was hoping that he'd arrive there first.

'Knowing Goku and Vegeta they'll probably show up first,' he mused to himself, remembering how restless the two Saiyans were lately. Piccolo saw that at Satan's party held two months ago, where Tarble, Vegeta's brother, showed up. Those two were looking for a fight to entertain themselves, eventually they nearly came to blows over the food they were eating.

'Vegeta having a brother,' he shook his head at that, still not believing Vegeta would have a brother.

* * *

At the foot of a forest near Mt. Paozu, stood a quaint white and brown house; not far from it, a radish field was being tilled by the legendary Saiyan warrior Goku. He wiped his brow with his arm, as he looked over the rest of the field he still had to work on.

"Come on Chi Chi, it's almost lunch time!" Goku yelled towards an open window in the house. He was quickly responded by his hot-tempered wife.

"I'm not feeding you until that field is seeded!"

"But," he began to plead.

"But nothing! You gave away our last crop to those two aliens at Mr. Satan's party! You know how much money that cost us!" Chi Chi waited for a response but got nothing.

"Now get back to work!" She yelled and closed the shutters. Goku looked down and let out a weary sigh. He was about to back to his task when he felt the ki, a smile slowly forming on his face. He ripped off the brown shirt and pants he was currently wearing to reveal the blue muscle shirt and orange gi he usually wears for combat. Without any announcement he took off into the skies.

Chi Chi heard the familiar noise of an explosion of ki and the sound of someone flying away. She immediately opened the window to see Goku's work clothes floating towards the ground. With an angry scowl, she yelled into the heavens at Goku. After that she yelled at Gohan to bring his father back.

Gohan was busy finishing writing up a term paper for his English class when his mom demanded he bring his dad back. He pressed a button on his wristwatch to change into his Great Saiyaman costume, then closed his eyes and felt out to see where his dad was headed. He could sense his dad's ki signature, then Piccolo's and the new one. With a grim expression he jumped out his window and flew in the same direction, wondering when the planet will get a break from fighting.

Up in Mt. Paozu, Goten was playing with a baby pterodactyl, when he felt his Dad's and older brother's ki's flying away. Not knowing yet what was happening he called on nimbus. The flying yellow cloud appeared overhead and swooped down low enough for the young boy to jump on, and ordered it to follow the other two. He smiled brightly hoping for some excitement and was happy to be wearing his fighting clothes.

* * *

Located in West City, the Capsule Corp. domed headquarters gleamed in the sun. Within its many rooms housed a gravity chamber, which was being occupied by Vegeta and his son Trunks. Vegeta was about to land a left hook when he stopped mid-punch when he felt all the ki signals, familiar and unfamiliar. Trunks was about to ask what was wrong when he also felt the disturbance.

They both looked at each other and nodded before turning away. Vegeta was already wearing his blue jumpsuit, so he needed his armor; Trunks was already in his dark green gi so he waited outside for his dad. He was contemplating bringing along his sword when his dad ran out and took off, he quickly followed.

Father and son were in the sky trying to catch up with the others. Trunks was smiling, looking forward to another fight; the spat with Abo and Cado wasn't enough to sate his fighting spirit. Vegeta on the other hand was frowning, he was still quite mad at Kakkarot for eating his last piece of sushi at Mr. Satan's party, so he wasn't looking forward to seeing the other Saiyan.

* * *

After the ship passed through the upper portions of the atmosphere, the pilot directed the ship to a desert region in the middle of the main continent. Scans showed this to be least populated area on the planet. The pilot found an empty valley to be a suitable landing spot. As the ship hovered over the desert valley, three skids extended from the black surface of the ship. It slowly descended to the surface and touched down softly, the ships engines powering down.

Out of the six Z-warriors, Piccolo was actually the first to show up a few minutes after the ship landed. He floated overhead observing the ship, the desert wind making his white cape flutter. In the sunlight, he noted that the craft was dark gray in color but it had no exterior markings. At that moment, Goku and his clan showed up.

"Hey Piccolo!" Goku waved at the Namekian. Piccolo nodded at each of them, then turning back to the valley below.

"Wow, that doesn't look like a space pod," Goku stating the obvious. "Or like Freeza's ship."

"It looks more like a Concorde," Gohan added referring to the supersonic airliner.

"What's a Concorder?" Asked Goten confused. Gohan was about to elaborate, when Vegeta and Trunks showed up.

"Kakkarot," Vegeta nodded to the other Saiyan, ignoring the others. Trunks was talking with Goten.

"Vegeta," nodded Goku as he looked over his armor. "Ready for battle?"

"Always," he glanced at the others before noticing Gohan in his Saiyaman costume. "You're still in that ridiculous get-up?"

"What? This is an excellent superhero suit. It's very stylish!" Gohan crossed his arms, frustrated he still got crap about his suit.

"Only if you're a moron," Vegeta grunted.

"I think it looks cool," Goku said trying to support his son.

Vegeta smirked, "Thanks for proving my point"

"If you women are done cackling," Piccolo interrupted, pointing at the ship. "Someone's stepping out."

They all looked where he was pointing towards, noticing there was opening on the side of the ship, and a single person was on the ground, looking up at them. The group nodded at each other and descended; they landed a few yards away, forming a rough semi-circle around the person. Goku and Vegeta stood at the center, Piccolo and Gohan were at their sides, and kids were at each end. None of them took a fighting stance, but were ready for the visitor to make the first move; each one sizing up their guest.

The visitor appeared to stand over 6 feet, and appeared to be quite bulky, though they couldn't tell if it was due to muscle or if the spacesuit made them seem bigger. The space suit itself looked like the one Bulma wore on their trip to planet Namek years ago, but was a navy blue, with black boots and light gray gloves. The helmet was white and had a black visor which hid the persons face. There were what appeared to be patches on the suit itself, but none could see clearly what they said. The last thing they noticed was that the visitor's right hand was gripping what appeared to be a black pipe, while the left hand was clenched in a fist.

The visiting committee and the visitor stood facing each other for a few minutes, the only sound heard was the whistling of the desert wind. Eventually Vegeta grew frustrated and broke the silence, "You! State your business here!"

The stranger regarded him for a moment, and then his left hand went up to the helmet. Unlocking a latch at the side, an audible hiss was heard, indicating the person was exposing themselves to their atmosphere. The helmet was slowly removed revealing a male with short cropped dark brown hair that had a few spikes, a square stony face with jutting jaw, and lightly tanned complexion. His eyebrows were furrowed and he stared at Vegeta with jet black eyes.

"Prince Vegeta, I presume?" The man asked gruffly, he held the helmet to the side. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, not having been called by his proper title in years. "Who wants to know?"

Before he could answer, a yellow helicopter appeared above them, its pilot was waving at them below. Vegeta scowled already knowing who it was.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" Bulma yelled out from the open cockpit window; she landed a few feet away from them. She was wearing a white Capsule Corp. t-shirt and blue jeans. Her blue hair was still kept short. Bulma had just made the copter turn back into a capsule when Vegeta stalked up to her.

"Woman, what are you doing out here?"

Bulma frowned, not liking his tone. "I saw you and Trunks flying off, so I followed to see what was wrong."

"Are you stupid? This guy could be dangerous and you wanted to tag along?" Vegeta huffed, a vein bulging dangerously on his right temple. Ever since the Buu incident he'd gotten protective of his wife. He turned his head to his son, "Boy, take your mother home."

"Excuse me, but I'm a grown woman and I can take care of myself!" Bulma yelled at her husband, her blue eyes blazing with anger. "How do you know he's dangerous? Have you even asked him?"

Before he could give a retort, she stomped off in the direction of the visitor. "Hey you! Are you here to cause any problems? Trying to kill us all or something?"

The man regarded her with a raised eyebrow, "No ma'am. Am I supposed to?"

Bulma smirked, "Most visitors we get usually do."

"I'll remember that next time."

She began to feel at ease, she gave the ship a once over her, pointing her thumb at it, "So this is yours?"

"Yes ma'am."

"What's the power source?" Bulma's scientific mind already wanting to decipher the level of sophistication she was seeing.

"It's a solar ion reactor."

"How fast does it go?" Her mind was racing trying to get an idea of the type of output it had.

The man's eyes squinted trying to get a ballpark guess, "I'd say it can cross a galaxy in three days at full power."

The others walked closer to the two, after seeing their interaction with each other, and after Piccolo relayed what Dende said. Vegeta had his arms crossed and was still frowning; still not trusting this person.

"Bulma, you can pick his brain later. I still want to know who this guy is and what does he want," Vegeta glared at the man.

"My name is Cilan," the man started. "I'm here as I heard this is where the last of the Saiyans are living."

"Why should that matter," Vegeta stopped his mind coming to one conclusion. His eyes bulged out. "You're a Saiyan!"

"Yes sir."

"That's impossible! How old are you?" Vegeta demanded.

"21, sir," Cilan again answered simply.

"Are you from the future?" Gohan interjected.

"No sir," he was slightly surprised by the question.

"Then you're a liar, there is no way you're a Saiyan. Planet Vegeta was already gone when you were born," Vegeta was about ready to grab Cilan by the throat and demand he stop lying.

"My parents were off planet when it was destroyed by Freeza."

Goku took this moment to get between the two and diffuse the situation. "Hey, come on Vegeta, if he says he's one, then he is one."

Vegeta just snorted not believing what he was hearing. Goku sighed before continuing, "We didn't know about your brother, and who knows how many other Saiyans were away when Freeza destroyed the planet."

Goku then faced Cilan and extended a hand, which he shook. "Welcome to Earth. I'm Goku, those are my sons Gohan and Goten." He pointed at two, who waved back.

"You already know Prince Grumpy," Vegeta grunted and turned his back on them. "That's his son Trunks, and his wife Bulma." They waved at him.

"Oh and the shy guy in the back is Piccolo," Goku pointed at the Namekian.

"So most of you are Saiyan's?"

"Except for me, I'm human." Bulma spoke up, "In fact I'm smartest and prettiest of them all!"

"That's nice," Cilan replied slowly, while Vegeta snorted loudly. Bulma ignored him and grasped at Cilan's hand.

"Being a Saiyan and all, I bet you're really hungry, especially after such a long trip. How about you come with us so you can tell us your story over a hot meal? It is almost lunch time", Bulma smiled sweetly. She wanted access to his ship and knew food would get to him. Cilan was about to reply, when Goku's stomach made itself heard.

"Oh Bulma, can I go to? I'm really hungry!" Goku pleaded to his lifelong friend, and then pleaded with Cilan to say yes. Cilan nodded his approval, before they left he asked to be given a few minutes to change. After 10 minutes he jumped back out of the ship, he had changed out of his spacesuit, into a royal blue dress uniform and slacks, and still wearing black boots. At his right hip was a holster that held the earlier object he was wielding.

The shirt was loose, but the others noted he had broad shoulders, and his exposed arms looked toned. Goku noticed his left hand had a cratered scar, looking like he was shot with a ki beam. The group was about to take off, when Bulma took a look at the ship again.

"You know, I don't think it'll be safe leaving the ship out here in the middle of nowhere. You should probably take it with us, you know, for safekeeping," Bulma said with a sly smile.

"Not a problem," Cilan pulled out a remote control out of his breast pocket. Tapping a few buttons on it, the open hatch on the side of the ship closed up, and the ship disappeared blending in with the surrounding environment.

"It should be safe now," he smirked at Bulma as he re-pocketed the remote. Bulma frowned, then smiled again, even more determined to get access to that ship. She wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck as he lifted her off her feet, and took off back to Capsule Corp. The others following close behind.

To be continued.


	3. Background

**Author's Note: I'd appreciate to see what you guys think, so please review. Thanks! **

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

The group ate in Bulma's kitchen; the only noise heard was the clattering of empty dishes and food being consumed with lightning speed. Piccolo decided to stand to the side, nursing a bottle of water. The new Saiyan had trouble using chopsticks, but once he got the hang of it, he quickly caught up with the others. Goku was finished with his last plate, when he noticed a piece of salmon sushi sitting by itself on a plate. With a sly look, his hand reached for it when it was quickly poked with a pair of chopsticks.

"Come on Vegeta, you weren't going to finish that," Goku rubbed his hand, eyeing the lonesome piece of sushi. Vegeta moved the plate closer to himself, protecting it with one arm, his face daring anyone to try for it. Goku turned away glumly and looked over to Cilan's side to see if there was anything he could pilfer. Finding nothing of interest, he was about to look away when he noticed a circular patch on the left arm of Cilan's shirt. It was black, and featured the grim reaper with its scythe drawn back about to strike. The only words on it were two lines below the image, in white lettering: '1st S.O.G.' & 'Ghost Recon'

"What's that?" Goku pointed at Cilan's arm, drawing the attention of the others. Cilan looked at his arm, and gulped down what he was eating before he spoke.

"It's a patch of the unit I served with," he removed the patch, revealing it was velcroed on, before handing it to Goku.

"Unit?" Goku looked up from the patch before handing it to Vegeta.

"Military unit," Cilan answered simply.

"What military?" Vegeta asked mildly interested, as Bulma snatched the patch from his hand.

Cilan removed a second patch from his right arm passing it to Goku. This one was a square black patch, which featured a spiral galaxy that had a pair of swords crossed over it in an 'x' formation. Below it was the acronym 'G.F.S.F.' in yellow lettering.

"I was a Lieutenant Commander in the Galactic Federation Space Forces."

"Never heard of them," retorted Vegeta.

"They aren't active in this galaxy; they're based in the west galaxy."

"How did a Saiyan like you end up there?" Bulma spoke up.

"It's a long story," Cilan really wanted to dissuade them from prying further.

"We have plenty of time," Vegeta cut in, he wanted to know where this so-called Saiyan came from.

Pushing away the plates, he began his origins. He changed some details around, specifically who his father truly was; instead he said Cinna's personal guard was his father. He also left out Cinna's special ability, the true reason she was sent away. Cilan then described their life as nomad's in the east galaxy, how he and his mother survived by trading and stealing for the first ten years.

"So where's your mother now?" Bulma asked.

"She's dead," Cilan deadpanned looking her straight in the eyes. Bulma recoiled in shock, "I… I'm sorry."

"How did she die?" Vegeta cut in, not wanting to hear Bulma's blubbering.

"After I turned 10, we were in the southwestern quadrant when we were ambushed by space pirates. We were in our ship when it happened, we fought them off as much as we could, but the ship took critical damage." Cilan's eyes were boring a hole through the table as he remembered that day.

"The ship's emergency escape pods were disabled, so my mother told me to get into her old space pod and take off. When I refused, she knocked me out, gathered some of our belongings and put me into the space pod, then jettisoned me into space. I woke up just in time to see the ship explode," his voice controlled, but his hands were clenched, and his eyes furrowed.

"What happened after you were sent away?" Goku could sense the rage the other Saiyan was suppressing.

"The pod was set to land on an uninhabited planet nearby. I landed about an hour later, however the pirates landed right after. They saw the pod and followed to finish the job. There were about 80 of them including their leader."

"What did you do then?"

"I dealt with them," Cilan answered tonelessly.

Piccolo was eyeing him, knowing from his tone that he killed them all. He was trying to imagine how a 10 year-old Saiyan could fight off that many enemies, and only coming to one conclusion. He finally decided to speak up, "Did you go Super Saiyan?"

The others looked at Piccolo, then back at Cilan, waiting for his reply. Cilan's face changed from scornful to thoughtful before he looked at the others.

"Is that when you get a massive ki boost and you have a golden aura?"

The Saiyans nodded. Cilan contemplated this for a few moments before he asked, "Are all of you able to go that that state?"

Again, all the Saiyans nodded. Bulma cleared her throat to get his attention, "Why did those Space Pirates attack your ship anyway?"

"We did business with them for a couple of years. However some months before the ambush, my mother found out they were planning on using us as scapegoats for a heist they pulled off on a banking outpost. So she managed to double-cross them and steal their best ship," he smirked remembering that day.

"Anyway," the smirk disappeared. "After that, I took one of their ships. I decided to leave the eastern galaxy. I still wasn't sure about the state of the northern one and headed for the western one instead. When I got there, it was in the middle of a war."

"So you signed up with the military then? " Bulma asked.

"No, I didn't care about the war." Cilan put the patches back onto each sleeve of his arm, "I was just interested in continuing in stealing what I could to continue on. Unfortunately, I didn't last long as the local security forces detained me after a couple of heists. Before I was sentenced to some prison colony, the GF took an interest in me and drafted me into their forces. I was deemed a valuable asset for the war effort as I was a Saiyan," Cilan had his arms crossed.

"How did they know about Saiyan's?" Gohan interrupted.

"They learned about them from other prisoners," he looked away scowling. "That's also why they cut my tail off shortly after I was captured." The others looked closer at him noticing he didn't have a tail wrapped around himself.

"Why would they want with a Saiyan anyway? Who were they at war with?" Vegeta spoke up.

"They were at war with the Planet Trade Organization," Cilan looked at Vegeta awaiting a reaction. He got one as Vegeta looked surprised then asked, "Freeza?"

"No, Cooler."

Goku's eyes widened, remembering both times he had fought Cooler, "What was Cooler doing in that galaxy?"

"From what intelligence was able to gather from some of the POW's. It looked like Cooler wanted to take over the Western Galaxy by himself. However, unlike the northern galaxy, the western one was more technologically advanced, and was able to hold off his forces in the opening stages of the invasion. Though when Cooler and his personal guard were involved, they quickly made short work of them. Cooler gained about a third of the galaxy before he disappeared with his personal guards."

Cilan glanced at Vegeta, then at Goku, "Apparently one of you killed his little brother."

"That was me," Goku said sadly. He still didn't feel proud in taking lives of anyone, no matter how evil they were.

"Right, so when I showed up he had already disappeared, but the remaining forces still held on. In fact, they were backed up by the last of Freeza's forces. The ones that escaped from your wrath," Cilan glanced at Vegeta, who simply grunted.

"As I said earlier, the western galaxy was advanced technologically, but it had few races that could manipulate ki. Most of the fighters the GF had were killed off by Cooler and his men. So they jumped at the chance of using me in the war. After a year in boot camp, I was sent to infantry where I fought on the frontlines," his eyes were distant as he recalled the first few battles.

"After a couple of months, someone high up in the organization saw potential in me, and created a new Special Operations Group around me and the last of the remaining fighters. "

"So you were put into special forces?" Gohan had studied war history and came across stories on the creations of special military groups that were used in times of war, so he was familiar with the concept.

Cilan nodded, "I was sent on a crash course in officer training, and on covert operations. That's the unit you saw on the patch. We were called 'Ghost Recon', as our jobs were to infiltrate deep into enemy territory and either run reconnaissance on enemy troops or lay the ground work for the main forces to retake the planet; which usually meant on taking down the command structure in any way possible.

"Thanks to our group's efforts, we weakened them enough for the main forces to retake a majority of surviving planets. The last of their forces were defeated, about four years ago."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here," grunted the Prince.

Cilan scowled at him before continuing, "After the fighting ceased, our unit was disbanded and I was kept on active duty to deal with any remaining splinter cells that remained. About two years ago, I had officially been in the service for 8 years, so I decided to retire."

"Why did you do that?" Bulma asked. Cilan was about to reply, when Vegeta interjected with a knowing smile.

"I know why," the Prince glanced at him. "If you're a Saiyan, then you have an appetite for combat, but without any war to fight, you probably got bored. Correct?"

Cilan glanced away, his silence was all Vegeta needed. Clearing his throat, he continued, "After I retired, I decided to come to this galaxy, to see what had happened to Cooler. I was following leads for a while, when I heard Cooler and Freeza disappeared when they came to this planet. Some of Freeza's survivors told me that a Saiyan or two were living here. So with nothing else left to do, I decided to come here and investigate."

"Why were you looking for Cooler?" Goku asked.

Cilan smiled cruelly as he balled his left hand into a fist, his knuckles cracking. "I wanted to kill him."

The adults looked at him in shock, except for Vegeta, he smirked as he found that as an acceptable answer.

"Mr. Cilan," Goten raised his hand, jumping on the silence between the adults. Cilan turned his head to the young Saiyan.

"If you were a soldier, did you get any medals?"

"Some."

"So you're a war hero?" Goten asked excitedly. Cilan grimaced, but simply nodded at the smiling boy's question. He then felt a tug on his sleeve and looked over to see that it was Trunks.

"What's that you got there?" he pointed at the holster that contained the dark cylinder he recognized the new Saiyan was holding earlier. Cilan looked at what he pointed at and smirked; he stood up and went to an empty spot in the kitchen asking for some space. He un-holstered the object and held it in both hands in front of him.

"This," he activated a button on it and a plume of blue and white energy flowed from the hilt, "Is a beam sword."

The plume was about 3 feet long, and made a humming noise. Cilan deactivated it after a minute when Trunks looked suitably impressed. Trunks eyes were as wide as saucers, and his jaw swung open. Bulma's mind was trying to figure out what kind of power source that used.

Vegeta had a raised eyebrow, "Why do you have such a silly toy?"

"It was custom made for me by the GF armory," Cilan began to explain as he re-holstered the hilt. "It was pointless to issue me a beam rifle, so they decided to make a beam sword; to give me an edge in combat."

"Let me see it, let me see it!" Trunks begged as he pointed at the beam sword.

"You already saw it," Cilan replied.

"I mean let me hold it."

Cilan glanced at Bulma, "I don't think your mom would like that."

Bulma nodded, "You already have a sword sweetie."

"Yeah, but his is better, and it doesn't need to be sharpened." He looked down, before looking up at his mom, his eyes lit up again. "Mom, can you make me one?"

Goten jumped up from his seat and also asked for one. Bulma only shook her head wondering why boys always wanted destructive toys.

"I don't think your mom would like you playing with weapons son," Goku said with a smile, before his face took on a pained expression. He remembered he was supposed to till the field, but spent the last few hours eating and listening to Cilan's story. Goku looked worriedly at his eldest son. "How mad was Chi Chi?"

"Mom seemed really angry, she might actually kill you this time." Gohan replied as he rested back, with his hands interlocked behind his head.

Goku grimaced, before he turned to Bulma, tapping his index fingers together. "Hey Bulma."

"Yes?"

"Can I stay here for a couple of days? Until Chi Chi calms down?" He looked down worriedly. The strongest fighter in both the living and afterworld wanted to hide from his wife.

To be continued.


	4. Decisions

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_November 8__th__, Age 764_

In the southwestern quadrant of the eastern galaxy, a delta shaped ship was cruising towards a local spaceport for re-supply. Unlike other spaceships in the galaxy, the accommodations were more akin to a yacht than a normal transport. It featured a large pool, a fully stocked bar and kitchen, and various forms of electronic entertainment. It also had a spacious gym, which was being used by its two sole occupants.

It was a woman and a boy. The woman was Cinna, she was 37 now, but childbirth and her nomadic life had not taken a toll on her, she still retained the same looks. She no longer wore her traditional Saiyan armor; instead she wore dark colored clothing with armored plating, and wore a dark purple cloak over it. The cloak also had a hood which she wore to hide her face whenever she was in public. Ever since she made her escape from Paragus and Broly, she ditched her normal clothing and kept a low profile so she wouldn't run the risk of them finding her.

The boy was a Cilan, he was wearing a dark gray muscle shirt and black sweat pants. At this age he was as tall as her mid-section. Cinna was pleased to see her son didn't look like either Broly or Paragus. Instead he had the same square face and short hair like her father Mizu; though Cilan did inherit his true father's strength, but luckily his mind seemed calm. She never told him who his real father was; instead she told him that it was her guard Shalot, and that he died shortly before he was born.

The two at the moment were in the gym of the ship in fighting stances, waiting for the other to make the first move. Predictably, the young Saiyan made the first move as he was impatient. Cilan faded out and faded at the left side of his mother's face, ready to deliver a right hand punch. Cinna blocked it with her left forearm and batted her son away. He landed in front of her and immediately launched a kick to her mid-section, she easily side-stepped it and launched a left hand punch to his gut. It connected and the boy fell onto his back, the wind knocked out of him.

Cilan was on his back for a few seconds before he flipped back onto his feet and launched a series of punches to Cinna's head, she moved her head out of the way of each punch. Frustrated, the boy launched another kick to the right side of her face. She moved her head away and used her right hand to grab his leg and landed another punch to his stomach, before throwing him down on the mat.

"You let yourself be too open when you kick Cilan," his mother chided ready for him to attack again. Her son sat up rubbing his stomach, the spot where he was hit.

"No fair, you keep reading my mind," her son replied with a frown. Cinna put her hands on her hips as she loomed over him.

"There's no fairness in battle, you either adapt or die," Cinna told him, repeating the same words she learned from her father. Truthfully, she had to read his mind, as that was the only leverage she had against him. He was as strong and as fast as she was now, and soon he would be too fast for her, even with her telepathic powers. It astounded her how strong he was becoming, and could only conclude that Paragus was right, and her son might have the same legendary powers like Broly.

Though that made her worry, as she was afraid he also inherited the same sociopathic tendencies like his father. She would deeply read his mind on occasion when he was asleep and was relieved each time his thoughts were like a normal child's. Cinna also discovered that her son didn't inherit her telepathic powers, but instead had another talent.

Cilan had telekinetic powers; she discovered it, when he was still a toddler. He was almost a year old, when she left a bottle of milk on a high shelf; she wanted to see if he could fly to get it. It was only took him 3 months for him to learn to walk so she was experimenting with him to determine how far his powers progressed. Instead of flying up to it, he reached out for it and the bottle flew into his hands. Not believing what she saw, she did the same experiment a few more times, getting the same results.

As he grew older, she tried training his abilities the best she could; using her powers to read his mind while he moved objects to get an idea of how his powers worked. By the time he turned five he was able to move small boulders, but his remaining barrier was incorporating his powers while in combat. The problem lay in that he needed complete focus to use his powers, but could not focus on fighting at the same time.

Cinna had the same problems at his age with her telepathy, so she kept pushing him, realizing such a technique would be very useful in battle. So far, he was able to move small object during their spars. She knew that with enough work, he would become a formidable opponent and they could both finally find a place to settle down when they no longer felt threatened.

Cilan never voiced it, but she could see his desire was for them to find a place to settle. Even though Saiyan's were traditionally raised to travel to distant planets to conquer them, they still could have a home to call their own on Planet Vegeta. That was out of the question now, with the threat of Freeza, Paragus, and Broly; she would always move from planet to planet every few weeks.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and was about to tell Cilan to get back up, when the ship shook. They both looked around as a few items fell over before there was another jolt. Red lights began to flash and a warning siren began to sound. Cinna ran out the door and went straight to the bridge; an idea was starting to form on what was going on. Cilan followed close behind, but went in another direction when his mother told him to get their space suits. Once she entered the bridge and looked at the displays, her suspicions were confirmed.

"Shit," she muttered, behind them, there were two space barges attacking them. She immediately recognized them as belonging to the space pirates she double-crossed months ago. She had made the ship return fire, when Cilan entered carrying a pair of gray space suits, "What's going on mom?"

"We're being attacked by those fucking assholes we cheated." She pulled off her cloak and was getting into her space suit. Her son nodded, his face not showing any fear. "What do you want me to do?"

"Put on your suit, and get the emergency pods ready to go."

"But mom," the boy started to protest, before his mother cut him off.

"But nothing, we might have to ditch the ship and we'll need those ready." She put her helmet on her head, ending the argument. Cilan just looked away frowning and put his space suit on. Cinna locked in her helmet and pressurized the suit, when the ship was rocked again. She muttered another curse before she left the bridge to the nearest emergency hatch.

"Blasters aren't doing shit," she spat out, as she tied a rope around her torso, which was tied to a metal beam. Cinna opened the hatch exposing the inside of the ship to the vacuum of space. Her upper body was outside as she looked at her two pursuers. Unlike her ship, the two were rectangular and had square super-structures on top of them.

She raised her right hand, while the left was clutching the open port-hole to steady her. A ball of ki formed on her right palm, she charged it for a couple of seconds. Once she felt it was strong enough, she launched it at the bridge of the rightmost ship. It worked as the sphere tore through the front it and exploded destroying the bridge.

Before she charged another shot, the left ship opened fire on her. She ducked back inside and closed the hatch before green blaster fire rained on her. The ship rocked harder once it impacted. It appeared to her that the pirates were going easy on them at first so they could retake the ship, now they wanted it destroyed. She ran to the bridge to get Cilan ready to ditch the ship, however when she got there, Cilan was panicked.

"What's wrong?"Her voice was urgent.

"We can't use the escape pods."

She moved him out of the way, looking at the emergency pod display. It was flashing red and the words 'Offline' scrolled by. She glared at the screen before she turned to her son. "What happened!"

"They were fine one second, and then it stopped working after the last attack."

Cinna yelled out a string of curses, she knew they were screwed. The ship couldn't out run the other ship, and there only means of escape was gone. Her eyes widened remembering what she kept stored in the cargo hold. She turned to her son. "Cilan gather some of your spare clothes and go to my old ship in the cargo hold."

The boy nodded, "What about you, mom?"

She shook her head,"I'll hold them off."

"You're not coming?"

"No, now go," she turned back to the weapons console. He didn't move, instead he gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists. "I'm not leaving without you!"

"Don't be stupid, the pod can only hold one." When she saw he still hadn't left, she turned to him her fists on her hips. "If you stay here, you'll die!"

"I don't want you to die either!"

Cinna was ready to retort, but knew he'd be too stubborn to listen, so she needed a different approach. She crouched down to him until they were at eye level, putting a hand on his right shoulder and touching her helmet to his.

"I know you're brave," she began, her voice softer than normal. "But I can't let you throw your life away, I love you too much."

Cilan was caught off guard over hearing his mother voice her affection for him. He was too stunned, to see his mother draw back her right fist and land a powerful blow to his abdomen, the same place she hit him earlier. The wind was knocked out of him and his vision blackened, the last image was of his mother with a sad smile.

Holding onto him tightly, she wished they weren't in their space suits, so she could properly hug her son. The ship shook again; she moved swiftly to their room, she didn't have much longer. Once she was in their quarters she set her son on onto his bed, while she grabbed a duffel bag and tossed spare clothes and a few personal items. She went to her closet and pulled out a small silver case that was hidden in the back.

Opening it up, she looked over the contents: A dozen pieces of gold and other precious minerals and metals, some photographs, and one yellow envelope containing a letter. The letter explained his true origins, and the reasons why she hid the truth from him. She closed it up and tossed it into the bag. Throwing Cilan over her shoulder, she quickly made her way into the pantry and placed a few food rations into the bag before she headed for the cargo hold.

Her old Saiyan space pod was there; not used for so long that it had a few rust spots on the exterior. She opened it up to set Cilan inside with the duffel bag. She programmed the computer to land on an uninhabited planet they passed by earlier. However, because of its non-use for so long, it needed a few minutes for the engines to warm up.

Looking him over one more time, she closed the hatch on the space pod and moved back to a control panel on the wall of the cargo hold. She pressed a red button on the panel, and the massive door that separated the ship from space opened up. Items not bolted down began to fly out of the new opening; the pod began to move slightly, but did not fly out until the door was fully open.

Cinna held onto a metal beam and pressed the button to close the door again, once the pod was clear. Tears were streaming down her face as the last image she saw was the pod moving silently away from the ship. She went back to the bridge; she needed to draw the pirate ship away from the pod. When she was back at the helm, she diverted all remaining power to the engines and moved the ship faster. It was only a few seconds later when the pirate ship fired again, knocking out the engines. Cursing under her breath, as a warning flashed telling her that there were multiple hull breaches; she was about to try the weapons again when the ship was hit again and explosions began to be heard. She looked back and raised her arms as the eruptions got closer. Her last thoughts were of Cilan, and how she regretted not being able to see him grow up, it was then everything around her exploded engulfing the bridge in fire.

Cilan woke up, not remembering what was going on; until he saw he was inside the space pod. He looked out the round window and saw the ship he called home for months trailing fire. When it exploded, he cried out for his mother, his eyes stinging with hot tears. The pod engines were finally charged up enough, it took off to its pre-programmed destination.

An hour later, the pod touched down on a grassy patch of land. The sun was overhead indicating it was midday. The pod door opened, and the young Saiyan stepped out. He unlatched the helmet to remove it and let fall on the ground. His face was shell-shocked and his eyes were red, he stopped crying a while ago.

His contemplation was cut short, when a ship appeared overhead. He recognized it as the pirate ship that attacked earlier. It landed a couple of yards away, and it opened up revealing the pirates. They were a lizard race that looked like bi-pedal iguanas. They were wearing black armor, and wielding blaster rifles.

Cilan took on a fighting stance as they were descending on him. Their leader was taller than the rest, and wore red armor; he spoke out to him, "Look! It's the bitch's monkey son."

Cilan's face twisted in rage. He raised his left hand was ready to shoot him a ki blast, when he was shot in the hand by one of the other pirates. Clutching his hand he fell to his knees watching as blood seeped out of the small hole.

"Don't be so eager monkey, you'll be joining your whore of a mother soon enough," the leader bellowed out. Something inside of him snapped at that moment. He stood up again, forgetting the pain his hand was in. Instead his mind kept replaying the last moments of his mother. All he wanted to do at that moment was to them apart. He was breathing heavily, glaring at the pirates, as an aura of white ki flared around him. His anger kept mounting, and his aura kept flaring but this time it was turning golden, along with his hair. The pirates were not sure what they were witnessing until Cilan threw his head back and yelled at the top of his lungs and was engulfed in a golden flame.

It was only 3 minutes later when the last surviving pirate was crawling towards the ship, his legs were blasted off and his left arm was ripped off. Around him various body parts were strewn about; heads, legs, and arms that were still clutching rifles. They were all from his fellow pirates. He still couldn't figure what happened, one moment he got a shot off on the kids hand and the next he and the rest of the crew were being torn apart.

Hearing a noise behind him, the pirate stopped and turned his head around to see their leader on his back, his head between the ground and the kids boot.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill your mother!" He was pleading for his life. His right eye was missing. "Don't crush my head, please! Not my face!"

The Saiyan promptly caved his head in. Turning his head back, the last pirate tried crawling faster towards the ship; however he saw someone was in front of him.

It was the boy, his hair was golden, but his eyes were completely white, showing no irises. He was still wearing the space suit but it was covered in green blood. The pirate stared up at him, and knew what was coming. However he didn't bother to beg.

"Fuck you," the pirate spat out. "You're a fucking monster."

Cilan glared at him for a moment, before he raised his right hand and vaporized him with a blast of ki.

* * *

_July 28__th__, Age 776_

Cilan woke up, his face sweaty; he sat up and took in his surroundings. He was on his ship, on Earth. Looking over his clock, he muttered a curse when he saw it was 4 am. Wiping away the beads of sweat off his face, he heaved a weary sigh. It was the fifth night in a row where the memories of the day his mother died kept appearing in his nightmares. Ever since he recounted that day, his sub-conscious kept replaying it, not letting him forget.

It was the same way months after she died. His nightmares were strong enough to wake him during his hibernated state. By the time he was sent to boot camp they became infrequent enough where it no longer caused problems.

Once his heart rate and breathing were steady, he tossed his bed sheet aside and got out of bed. He knew it would be pointless trying to go back to sleep; once he was fully awake, he stayed awake. Throwing on a pair of sweatpants and white muscle shirt, and grabbing the hilt of his beam sword; he stepped out of the ship and flew northward until he found a lone mesa in the desert.

Setting down the hilt on the ground, he took up a fighting stance and began a series of punches and kicks under the stars. As he fought his imaginary enemy, his thoughts turned towards the last few days since landing on the planet.

After their lunch the first day, Goku and Vegeta recounted their battles on Earth and abroad. He was surprised to find out that Piccolo and Vegeta were Goku's former enemies, before they decided to join his side. It was also surprising to find out that Piccolo, or rather his father, ruled the planet for hundreds of years. It was a few hours later when Goku concluded the tale of their fight with Majin Buu, when his wife showed up and dragged him back home by the ear. He remembered hearing mutterings of 'no good lazy husbands'.

Two days later, Goku had managed to sneak out for a few hours, and sought him out so that they could spar. Cilan was surprised to learn that the Super Saiyan state had different levels of power. He was faintly amused when he learned that he was slightly more powerful than either Goten or Trunks. Their sparring match also showed him he still needed more training. They were evenly matched in the beginning, but Goku used his knowledge of various techniques to outclass him, though he took the loss as learning experience; even picking up some new moves.

If he had used his powers, he might have won, but that would entail revealing it his mother's true power. Cilan still didn't feel like he trusted them enough to know that, never mind him being the son of their most merciless enemy. He thought that he would tell them in due time, when he was sure they wouldn't turn on him.

Bulma had insisted he meet the rest of their gang, and invited him over to her house nearly every day. So he met the rest of the lower level fighters. Cilan wasn't surprised to find out that most of them decided to retire, after seeing how much more powerful Saiyan's were, it'd be pointless trying to keep up. Though Piccolo, and the three-eyed human Tien, still kept up with their training. To Cilan, it appeared they had nothing much else in their lives except for fighting, a sentiment he could relate to.

Clearing his thoughts, he looked into the skies to make sure he was alone, and held his right palm out towards the beam sword. It flew into his hand and he activated it, before starting another exercise, but this time using various slash and parry attacks using the sword. He did this for well over an hour.

Making sure again that he was alone, he made various rocks began to levitate around him, and began to swirl around him. He started to hit each one with his sword, disintegrating them, while dodging others. Once he ran out of rocks he made more levitate and do the same thing again. He continued on doing this exercise until it was dawn.

After deactivating and pocketing the beam sword, he started his work on ki attacks. He did his standard attack of launching ki spheres from the palm of his hands, then moving onto continuous blasts. Cilan then moved onto his favorite ki attack; he made his right hand into the shape of a gun, with the index and middle finger as the barrel, while folding the other two fingers, and making the thumb stick-out. He began shooting out concentrated beams of ki at different levitating rocks. Even though he didn't need a gun, he still didn't mind mimicking one. Once he was certain his aim was true, he began to practice on a new ki attack.

Cilan had watched Goku's Kamehameha wave attack closely, as he found it to be a very powerful and useful technique. After their match, he had asked the other Saiyan if he could perform the attack once more. Goku just shrugged and did it a few times, he had offered to teach him the technique, but Cilan felt he could learn it by eyeballing it.

Taking his fighting stance again he cupped his hands to the side; he formed a ball of energy, and then moved his hands forward to launch the ball into the skies. Satisfied it didn't veer off or explode; he cupped his hands again and gathered more ki. He launched it, but instead of a sphere it flowed out as a beam into the morning skies. This went on for a few moments as he kept pouring his energy into it, then stopped the attack and put his hands to the side. He never called out the name for the attack, as he found it a waste of time.

It was around 7 in the morning when Cilan decided to finish his training and go back to his ship. After taking a hot shower, he looked himself over in the bathroom mirror, with a towel wrapped around his waist. His muscle structure was similar to Broly's, though his body was covered in various scars and lacerations. Some from blaster fire, others from explosions and knife attacks. He wasn't focused on those however; he was looking at his jaw line, noting the stubble that had grown.

"Guess I could let it go for another day," he finally muttered before he focused on his face. It was the same as always, square, with a perpetual grim expression. The nose was slightly flat, from all the times it had been broken. The eyes were still black, cold and nearly lifeless. A sardonic smile appeared on his face then.

"You're an ugly motherfucker," he said to the reflection, before he shook his head and turned away leaving the bathroom.

After a change of clothes, he made his way to the galley for a quick breakfast. As he ate in silence, his thoughts drifted back to the other Saiyans. The kids were nice, though Gohan lacked the fighting spirit of the others. With all his power, all he really wanted to do was continue his studies.

'Nerd,' his mind pegged him as. Goten and Trunks reminded him of his younger self. Vegeta was as much of an arrogant jerk as he had heard. Though according to the others, he was even tempered now than when he first showed up. Vegeta seemed to have believed his story, but was still suspicious of him. Again, the others had told him that was normal.

Goku was the one that puzzled him the most. He was significantly strong and an excellent fighter, but always showed mercy. His mother had taught him that in battle, a warrior must never show mercy to his opponent. The GFSF has further cemented this viewpoint. All wars depended on the only hope a soldier having, was to accept the fact that he was already dead. The sooner he accepted this, the sooner he would be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse.

He couldn't comprehend how Goku could be so merciful to his opponents. He was the opposite of how Cilan was raised, but became the strongest being in the universe. Thinking back to Piccolo and Vegeta, and how they turned out; Cilan wondered if he had a point. He shook his head then; all of his opponents he faced were merciless creature's hell bent on controlling the galaxy, not unlike Freeza and Cooler.

Still, he couldn't match Goku's gentle nature to the person who killed his father. When he read the letter his mother left behind, she warned him of the dangerous person he was and to stay away from him. Obviously he couldn't listen to that, and sought Broly out after he retired.

Cilan was stunned to find his mother was right when he travelled to the southern galaxy, or what was left of it. He had talked to the species of the surviving planets. They had all said that a single person rained destruction on many plants. When he came across a planet that had the surviving members of a small green imp race, they had told him that it was Broly that destroyed most of the galaxy, and that he was defeated by some Saiyans from Earth.

That was his first time learning that there were other Saiyans alive. As he made his way to the northern galaxy, he came across more information about Earth. He learned that Cooler and Freeza were defeated by Saiyans that were on Earth; one of them being Prince Vegeta. That sealed his decision to come to Earth. A small part of him wondered if his mother had survived the ship explosion and found her way to the planet. That hoped was dashed when he landed.

The trip wasn't a waste, he got to meet the other Saiyans, and they helped in answering questions about his father; even if they didn't realize it. They had said that he was a complete maniac who wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in his path. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked up into the ceiling.

"You were right mom, guess I was lucky I never met him," he whispered to himself before turning back to his meal ration. Taking a bite of it, he grimaced at the blandness of it, he was starting to get used to Earth food. He had stayed longer than he intended, he should have left days before, however the lure of the food kept him around. It was a lie to himself, deep down he was starting to like it here.

'I should be leaving anyway,' he thought to himself. However part of his mind asked, 'And go where?'

The cold part of his mind answered back, 'Earth isn't my home.'

'Neither was the western galaxy,' retorted the other half. After retirement, Cilan tried to settle down in the western galaxy, but left after a month for the southern galaxy. Despite fighting for its freedom, he never felt he belonged in the western galaxy. His ship became his home for last two years, just like the years he traveled with his mother; though he started to grow tired of the nomadic lifestyle, but he didn't know how else to live.

There was another problem, Vegeta was right before. He craved for another war to fight, and searched for it in his travels. He only met with disappointment as at most he encountered were small enclaves of space pirates, most of them formed of former troops from the Planet Trade Organization. They were defeated easily, none pushing him to his limits. It was becoming clear that he would not find what he was seeking, and should just find someplace to call home.

'I don't belong here,' his cold side again.

'Goku and Vegeta didn't belong here either,' answered his other part. It quickly added, 'Besides, there's nowhere else to go. I could stand to stay here for awhile, just to learn more about my powers.'

Setting down his fork, he began to brood over his situation. He had thought of going back to the western galaxy. The GF would be more than welcome to take him back, and stay there as a lifer; but, he retired from them as he had grown tired of taking orders. Letting out another sigh, he decided that he could stay for a few months until he could figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

Though, that also presented another problem. Technically speaking, he was broke. The space credits he earned from the GF were worthless in this galaxy, especially on this planet. He still had some pieces of gold, but not enough to stay here for long. It was then that his thoughts turned to Bulma. The blue haired scientist and her family were the owner of the largest company on this planet. Her father was the inventor of that capsule technology.

Cilan wasn't stupid, he knew she had wanted to study his ship; she kept feeding him to gain his confidence. An idea formed then, they could reach a compromise that would be mutually beneficial. With a smirk he picked up his fork again and finished his breakfast. He decided to seek her out today, so they can cut a deal.

Cilan shook his head then, he still couldn't comprehend how Vegeta could stay with Bulma, with all the arguing those two would get into every other hour. Then again, he saw the glances she shot at Vegeta, and he also saw how protective Vegeta was of her.

After finishing up, Cilan went back to his quarters, to change into a clean dress uniform. He stepped out of his ship, and made it invisible again, before taking off into the direction of the Capsule Corp.

* * *

Cilan touched down at the Capsule Corp. grounds a few minutes past noon. He would have been there earlier, but when he was in the air he decided to enjoy the feel of the air rushing by him. Being cooped up in a ship for long tracks of time had made him appreciate the opportunities to fly freely. He stepped into the lobby and stated his name and business to the attendance robot, then took a seat to wait.

Down in her personal lab, Bulma was looking over the soldering on a circuit board. Once sure it looked fine she set the board down, and sat back in her chair while she lit up a cigarette. Her thoughts turned to the new Saiyan; she had invited him over the last few days. At first, just to get him to trust her enough to get to his ship, though she began to see how lonely he was. Now she wanted him to stay, so that he could feel he belonged somewhere.

Cilan reminded her of Vegeta, after coming back from Namek. He was alone, and didn't have a place he called home. In his story, he didn't mention of ever having his own family aside from his mother. When she introduced him to the others, he always kept himself aloof to observe them. Her mother had told Bulma, that Cilan always had a faraway look whenever she and Trunks were together. He was Trunks' age when he lost his mother, it was clear he missed her.

Bulma couldn't imagine how it was for a little boy to witness his mom dying in front of his eyes, then being forced to become a soldier. It was little wonder to her when she saw that he was always grim. He never smiled, maybe an occasional smirk, or that cruel smile, when he wanted to kill Cooler; but never one of joy. She came to a decision then; she'd seek him out and convince him to stay. Turning back to the circuit board, a smile formed on her lips. She'd rescue another lost soul.

The Saiyan in question was being escorted by Buma's blonde mother, Bunny, much to his chagrin. He was hoping Trunks, or hell, even Vegeta to take him to Bulma. She was an excellent cook, but her constant happy personality kept him on edge. He had never encountered anyone who was always in a joyful mood; he was convinced she was on some form of narcotic. Bunny's flirtatious personality didn't help either; she was currently leading him down to the labs, her arm wrapped around his and her head resting on his shoulder.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything to eat or drink?" Bunny fluttered her eyelashes.

"No," a small sweat drop was on Cilan's forehead. He was trying to gently untangle his arm from her, but she was holding on tight.

"It won't be any trouble. I can quickly fix something up for you."

He was about to refuse again, when his stomach rumbled. The promise of her food was too much for it to miss out on. Looking down, he grumbled out, "Maybe after I talk with your daughter."

Bunny only giggled, she knew how hungry Saiyans were so she could always win them over with her food. She was pleasantly surprised when he showed up, she liked him. Like Vegeta, he was quite rugged and handsome, but was tall. Bunny sighed; she only wished she had another daughter so she could have Cilan in her family. She wanted more beautiful grandbabies. It was then an idea struck her, and her matchmaking mind began to work.

They walked in silence as they made their way into the deeper sections of the building. When they reached a particular set of double doors, Bunny pressed a button on an intercom.

"Bulma dear," her voice stated sweetly. "That handsome young soldier is here to see you."

Cilan's cheeks were tinged red, as the doors opened and was led through. Bunny finally let go his arm and walked away to start on lunch. Bulma dusted off her lab coat and smiled warmly at her guest.

"Hey Cilan, what can I do for you?"

"You want the technology on my ship," he stated bluntly, getting to the heart of the matter. She gave him a simple nod.

"I've decided to stay here. For a while anyway," he ignored her bigger smile. "Given the fact, you're a scientist and the main person who runs the company. I have a deal."

Bulma crossed her arms, "I'm listening."

"I'll give you full access to my ship, in exchange for a stipend each month."

"How much?" One of her eyebrows was raised then.

"50,000 Zeni a month."

She blanched, "That's outrageous!"

"It's a pretty fair offer," he smirked. "Your company makes billions in revenue each year. So you can afford that type of salary on your payroll. With the tech on my ship, you'll rake in even more money."

Bulma considered this for a moment, she couldn't argue against his logic. "I'll accept on one condition."

"Which is?"

"You working for me."

Cilan raised his own eyebrow, "Doing what?"

"Be my personal guard, and help in counter corporate espionage," she walked towards her desk and opened one of its drawers.

"Why would you need me for that?"

Fishing out what she was looking for, she tossed a small object to him. He caught it easily, and saw it was a thin rectangular display. "What's this?"

"It's a pocket computer that can make phone calls and features a touch screen," Bulma said with her arms crossed. "It was supposed to have come out last month, but I was beaten by Peach Computers."

Cilan just looked at her, still not understanding. Bulma continued, "They made a near clone of my device, and there patents showed they used a lot of internal workings. So someone in my company leaked my plans to them."

"I get it; you want me to find out who the leak is."

Bulma nodded, "Before I can send your ship to R&D (Research & Development), I need to make sure none of my company's rivals get any data off of it."

Cilan handed back her device, and contemplated for a moment, "Why don't you have Vegeta find out?"

"Prince Jerk finds it beneath him," she motioned her head to the Prince in question. Vegeta was leaning against a lab wall, watching them both. He was training in the gravity chamber when he had sensed Cilan's arrival, and decided to watch him when he felt him make his way towards Bulma. Vegeta still didn't trust him, even though Bulma ran a DNA test on a sample of his saliva she swabbed off his chopsticks, proving he was a Saiyan. It was the part about his mother being sent away that didn't add up. From his recollection when he was still on Planet Vegeta, her father Mizu was an average fighter, so he didn't know why his father would send her away with her own personal guard.

Upon hearing the irritating nickname his mate had used, he turned away scowling. Bulma shook her head before turning back to Cilan. "Besides, you said you were trained in being covert, right?

Cilan nodded. She smirked then, "Then you can do this without drawing much attention. Vegeta would just brute force his way in."

His face became thoughtful, considering his options before he looked back at her. "Ok, I'll help you out."

"Great!" She turned away back to her desk. Cilan words stopped her, "But I'll need some equipment if you want me to do this."

"What kind of equipment?"

"Some gear, mainly a combat suit, and some electronic counter measures."

"The electronics are easy," Bulma sat at her desk rubbing her chin. "I could give you a Saiyaman suit like Gohan's"

"That green and black spandex get-up?" Cilan asked perturbed.

Bulma nodded, and his mind conjured an image of himself wearing a copy of the Saiyaman suit. He quickly shook his head to dispel that image. "How about I sketch out something and you can make it?"

"That can work," Bulma removed her lab coat then, revealing to be wearing a red blouse and blue jeans. She was heading towards the double doors.

"Come on, we can talk about this over lunch," she said over her shoulder, Vegeta following her. Cilan trailed along, wondering what he was getting himself into.

To be continued.


	5. Flashbacks I

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_March 11__th__, Age 766_

The planet Iconia was the former capital planet of the Galactic Federation. The Planet Trade Organization had launched an invasion on the planet six months prior. It was once the pride of the galaxy with stone buildings that were of a gothic nature, lush green forests, and pure blue oceans. With just half a year of fighting, the oceans were near black, tainted with the ashes of the blackened forests. Only the big government buildings still stood as the other smaller ones and homes were bombed out.

In the opening stages of the invasion, the government body and most of the civilian population were evacuated to planets deeper inside GF territory. Left behind were 3 million troops tasked with defending the planet and ordered to not let the PTO capture it by any means necessary. The rationale was that if it fell, it would be a great blow to morale among the populace.

The Galactic Federation Ground Forces were renowned for their prowess, tactics, and superior fighting equipment. Even with a significant numerical advantage, the forces on Iconia were whittled down to little more than 50,000 troops. With all their training and technology, they were still not able to overcome the disadvantage they faced with the PTO's trained combatants. The normal troops could not fly without mechanical assistance, nor could they manipulate ki, instead relying on beam rifles.

The strong fighters of the PTO could easily decimate entire divisions; however, they weren't what the ground troops feared. That was reserved for the nightmarish Saibamen, the green imp creatures that grew from seeds planted in the ground. They were relentless, merciless killing machines; many GF soldiers died at their hands. Rumor among the men were that the PTO grew the Saibamen on the most fertile planets, producing millions of them. When it appeared that Iconia couldn't be overtaken easily, the PTO sent the Saibamen to do the grunt work.

For the surviving soldiers, they envied there dead comrades. One of these soldiers was Colonel Jon Spiers. He was a human, who was drafted from the southeastern quadrant, and was placed in charge after their previous colonel was killed a week earlier. Spiers and a brigade of their men were stationed in the Parliament building; it was a makeshift headquarters and field hospital.

The colonel was positioned in a balcony overlooking the southern area; he was looking down the scope on his black beam rifle. He was wearing the standard battle dress uniform of all GF soldiers, gray digital fatigues, black Kevlar vest, and gray ballistic helmet with a clear visor. Once sure the area was clear he slung the rifle over his shoulder and leaned against a nearby pillar. His eyes were hazel, but they seemed weary, and framed by heavy bags under each one. Heaving a sigh, he opened a pocket on his left sleeve, and pulled out a small white carton, and pulled out a single cigarette.

Spiers had only lit it up and took a few long pulls, when another person was running up to him. It was Major Will Tavenport, he was wearing the same fatigues, but his frame was bulkier and shorter than the colonel. Unlike Spiers, Tavenport had signed up with the GF after his home planet was destroyed in the beginning of the war. His eyes were brown, and bloodshot.

"What happened now?" Spiers asked already knowing he was going to hear bad news.

"Sir," saluted the shorter man. "We've lost communication with the General's base command. Before they went dark, they mentioned they were under heavy attack."

"Great," muttered the colonel as he threw the half-used cigarette over the side. "That means we're next."

"Sir, request permission to begin evacuation of our personnel here," Tavenport his voice had an urgency to it.

"Evacuate where?" The colonel began. "Anywhere we go, we'll be fucked. We need to evacuate the whole planet."

"Sir, we can try the mountains."

Spiers was about to reply, when his visor lit up indicating significant ki levels were present. Looking over the balcony again, he looked down his rifle's scope and saw the source of it.

It was a giant green ogre, wearing the standard PTO gold and white armor. He was flanked by half a dozen regular PTO soldiers, who had beam cannons mounted on their forearms. The ogre was also surrounded by thousands of Saibamen. They were outside the gates of the Parliament building and were waiting to attack.

The colonel muttered a curse, and took aim at the ogre's head and fired off a blast. The ogre merely deflected it away, while he launched his own ki blast at the balcony. Only having enough time to jump out of the way, the explosion destroyed significant portions of where he once stood. Removing himself from the rubble, Spiers dusted himself off, and saw that Tavenport had also managed to survive the attack.

"We're fucked," the colonel nearly yelled. He looked over to Tavenport before ordering, "Major, order all able men to arm themselves. We're making our final stand here."

Before the major could leave to pass along the orders, a transmission cut in on their intercoms. "This is GSS Invincible to Iconia base command. Come in."

After a pause, the detached voice again repeated the request. Spiers decided to answer. "General Revill is presumed dead. His base command was overrun by the enemy. Over."

"Identify yourself. Over." the voice commanded.

"Colonel Jon Spiers of the 4th Brigade. May I ask who's on the line? Over."

"This is Captain Charles Mitchell, of the GSS Invincible. We're in orbit and here to provide assistance. I need to speak to the one in command immediately. Over."

"You're speaking to him, sir."

"All right Spiers, what's the current situation."

"Sir, situation is critical. We're surrounded by hostiles, and about to suffer the same fate as the general. I'm requesting emergency evac for our men. Over."

There was a short pause before the intercom came to life again, "I cannot authorize an evacuation at this time."

Muttering another curse, Spiers again keyed in another request, "Sir, request an orbital bombardment of the area immediately south of our position. Over."

"I cannot authorize that request; risk of collateral damage is too high."

"Sir," began Spiers again, bewildered at what he was hearing. "What are you authorized to do to assist us?"

"We're sending down reinforcements to your location. ETA: 5 minutes. Invincible out," the captain keyed off issuing his last command. Spiers and Tavenport looked at each, wondering what kind of reinforcements would help them now. Shaking their heads, they went down into the building issuing commands to prepare for the oncoming battle.

It only took a few minutes for total chaos to ensue. Various soldiers were positioned in fortified positions on the building fending off the Saibamen as they were scaling the walls. Spiers was in another balcony picking off any of the green monsters as they appeared in his sights. Tavenport was backing up a group of soldiers as they were holding down the main entrance, with his Gauss pistol in hand he was shooting rapidly at any green creature that showed itself; there was a already small pile of them by the opening.

That's when they heard a thunderclap, and their visors lit up indicating a spike in ki. Spiers positioned the beam rifle in the direction of the ki, and noted it was where the PTO soldiers were before. Looking through the magnified optic, he noticed the enemy soldiers were firing their beam cannons wildly in the air, while the ogre was on the ground. The ogre let out a roar, which caused the attacking Saibamen to stop their assault and turn back to their leader.

The colonel was trying to find what was causing the PTO soldiers to fire in the air, when suddenly several white blasts engulfed each troop vaporizing them. When he found the source, all he could make out was a black figure up in the air. The enemy leader let out another roar and took off into the air firing ki balls at the figure. The attacker disappeared before they hit and reappeared at the ogre's left side and blasted him with his own powers.

Spiers was trying to keep the fight within the view of his scope, and could make out an air battle between the two. The larger ogre tried many times charging the other but all his fists were hitting were after images. Spiers also noticed that the Saibamen were standing below the fight watching it, waiting for further orders. An idea formed then, and he keyed in his mic. "Spiers to Tavenport, come in!"

"Tavenport here, what's going on sir? Over."

"Major, our back up's here and is distracting the green beans. Order all the men to take up positions on any opening facing the southside and pick off as many of them as they can. Over."

"Roger," Tavenport replied and issued the new command. As ordered, the soldiers took their positions and began picking off the green marauders. The air was filled with thousands of blue beams as they hit their targets, dropping them one by one. A few had realized what was happening and began to dodge them beams, and began to advance on the building, until the ogre cried out in pain.

Their leader was on the ground, his right arm was ripped out and he gave an order for the Saibamen to attack the newcomer. It was then a blast of ki incinerated his head and ended his life. Spiers saw the figure touch down on the ground, and began to fight the remaining green monsters. He retreated to where Tavenport and the rest of his company were located, and ordered them outside.

The soldiers were outside in the courtyard, moving in a v-formation, Spiers was leading them. Their weapons were drawn and they were slightly hunched as they moved swiftly, executing any surviving Saibamen. They were advancing on the position of their savior, who at the moment had killed the last of the enemy.

The men surveyed the aftermath of the battle; the Saibamen who weren't vaporized, were torn apart. They looked over the carcass of the ogre, and then looked over at his assassin. He stood a little over 5 foot 4, and wore royal blue fatigues, and a black helmet. He had two patches one was of the GFSF logo, the other was one that was emblazoned with his rank and name.

Spiers regarded him for a moment before asking, "Who are you, son?"

"Private Cilan, sir," he saluted. The colonel returned the salute. "How old are you?"

"11 sir."

The other men looked at each other confused; they were sent a child to be there rescuer. Though, they didn't voice their displeasure because they just witnessed him emptying the battlefield singlehandedly. Spiers and Tavenport had their own thoughts; they would finally be able to reclaim the planet with this kids help.

* * *

_March 16__th__, Age 766_

Colonel Spiers was lying prone on a hill, looking through the scope on his rifle; he was flanked by the rest of his company, while other soldiers were behind them hunkered down waiting for further orders. They were overlooking the former home of the Prime Minister. It was the last holdout of the PTO on Iconia.

In the week since the arrival of Cilan, and a brigade of more GF troops, they've made progress in retaking the planet. The young Saiyan had been helpful in annihilating a good portion of the Saibamen and their powerful leaders, while the regular soldiers could handle the normal PTO enemy on their own.

The colonel looked up into the air above them, overhead was Cilan, who was reconnoitering the area and reporting back what he was seeing. So far, the enemy had not made any moves, for Spiers this meant that they would not attempt a retreat from the planet. As he looked up at the Saiyan, he was going over what he learned about him.

One was that Cilan was on loan to the Ground Forces from the Space Forces. He was drafted into them barely over a year. Spiers suspected Cilan was an orphan, as the boy never talked about his parents and he couldn't imagine any parent allowing their child to become a soldier at a young age. He also found out that while Cilan looked human, he was actually a Saiyan, a warrior race that went extinct thanks to Cooler's brother. He wasn't entirely surprised that the Saiyans used to do the bidding of the PTO, though he was glad that one of them was helping them.

The second thing he learned was that Cilan was a natural killer, he was brutal, efficient, and a fierce fighter. Battle after battle, the young Saiyan would kill anything that challenged him; no matter how much stronger they seemed, he fought them with no fear. Witnessing such determination, Spiers was reminded of an old warning he heard. It went that, the fiercest opponent would be the one that had nothing to lose. Watching Cilan, Spiers had to conclude that warning was accurate.

Cilan was watching the compound, waiting. His senses were telling him there was a powerful ki inside. It was the last of them on this planet, and he wanted to kill it. He didn't have to wait long as someone rocketed from the mansion up into the air in his direction. It stopped when it was a yard away from him, revealing another ogre, but one that was short and red wearing black and gold armor.

"So you're the one who killed my brother," the ogre scowled at him. Cilan just watched him his arms crossed. His face was stoic, but inside he was seething with rage. When he read the letter from his mother explaining who his true father was, and why they had to hide; his young mind could only rationalize that all of his problems stemmed from the PTO.

If the PTO didn't exist, his mother would not have been sent away from home; if they didn't exist his home planet would still exist, and his mother wouldn't have died. A part of his mind reminded him that if she was never sent away, he might not have been born, but he dismissed that thought as he concluded that his mother living was more important. So he focused all his rage at killing anything that wore the uniform of the PTO, with his natural Saiyan bloodlust, it only amplified his rage.

The ogre didn't know all this and continued to taunt the young Saiyan, "You're not one of those weaklings down below. You're a Saiyan aren't you? I thought Freeza wiped out all of you monkeys years ago."

Cilan didn't reply, so the ogre added, "Afraid aren't you? Well don't worry; I'll kill you fast so you won't suffer."

The ogre raised his palms and launched a blue blast at the boy. Once the light faded the ogre had a smug look on his face, satisfied he killed the Saiyan. In the next moment his jaw was caught in a kick that nearly tore his head off and tossed him away. Once he caught himself in mid-air he looked over to see the boy snarling at him, his aura filled with white energy.

He was going to say something, when he noticed his jaw wouldn't close. It had been broken by the kick. The ogre didn't have time to dwell on it, when blue ki spheres were headed towards him. He knocked them all aside, and was rewarded with an uppercut to his chin that sent him flying into the air. He didn't have time to catch himself, when he was kicked in the back by the kid.

As he hurtled to the ground below, the ogre tried to stop himself but his momentum was too great. It was then he saw the kid again was in his path, both his palms were raised gathering blue energy. Before he could try moving away, the Saiyan launched the blast engulfing him and incinerating his body.

Spiers had watched the battle in the air. Once he saw Cilan had killed the red ogre, he was about to order the rest of the soldiers to prepare to storm the mansion. Before he could issue his new orders the young Saiyan's voice cut in over the radio.

"Cilan to Spiers. Over."

The colonel tapped the mic in his helmet, "Spiers here, what is kid? Over."

"Sir, I'm seeing movement from the mansion. Over."

Spiers looked through his scope and saw that the PTO troops were emptying from the mansion. However, instead of running out for battle, they had their arms raised in the air without their beam cannons on them. They were surrendering.

Spiers stood up and began issuing commands for the troops to start rounding up the new POW's. Cilan touched down on the ground, his arms were crossed and had a disappointed look on his face. To the rest of the soldiers it appeared he was not happy that they gave up.

* * *

_July 15__th__, Age 766_

Tavenport and the rest of his command were in a troop transport on their way to planet Arkanos. They were tasked in capturing the facilities found there, as intelligence believed that was the planet that developed the seeds that formed into Saibamen. If they could capture it, they could cut off the PTO's supply of them, and find a weakness to the green vermin.

Cilan was with them, or as he was nicknamed: 'Kid'. The boy had been placed under Tavenport's command, and was always sent with them on their missions. Since Iconia, the Saiyan had been with them on the front lines, recapturing planets. Aside from a voracious appetite, the kid had mostly kept to himself and followed his orders without complaint.

Not with them, was Spiers, or now known as Brigadier General Spiers. After the victory on Iconia, all the men were awarded medals for their valiant actions and defense of the planet. Spiers and Tavenport were given promotions. Tavenport was now ranked as a Lieutenat Colonel; Spiers' promotion had him now remain behind on base command, leaving Tavenport to go with his men on their missions.

Red warning lights began to flash inside the transport, indicating they were beginning to make planet fall. After five minutes, the lights turned off, and the transport shook as it landed on the ground. The square shaped transport was on the ground for a few moments before its doors opened up and thousands of troops emptied out of it. Around them other transports were landing and emptying out their own troops.

They landed a few kilometers away from the main facility; it was a group of white buildings in the middle of a barren desert. The Lt. Colonel lead the men towards the facility as Cilan flew overhead for surveillance. Once they reached the facility, they were surprised to find it empty. As they passed the gates, the men were antsy; they felt they were waiting for an ambush.

Tavenport and a company of soldiers began the process of clearing the main facility; Cilan was behind them providing back-up. He was hearing various chatter from the other soldiers as they were clearing the smaller buildings. They all reported the same thing:

"Security outpost is empty," said a female voice.

"Hangar is empty, no ships are present," said another voice.

The crew quarters had various items scattered about, and the mess hall still had plates of food on the tables. To the Lt. Colonel, it appeared the enemy that was stationed here were evacuated hastily and might have left just a few days before their arrival. He was wondering if they knew the GF were coming.

The task of clearing each room was long and tedious; it was well over two hours when they began with the labs. They were empty as well, but various equipment and computer banks were left behind. Tavenport ordered a few engineers to start work on downloading any data they could glean from the machines. He didn't like what he was seeing and wanted to complete the mission as soon as possible. His senses were telling him that he had walked into a trap, when they reached the main lab they discovered why the place was empty.

Inside of it was a cylindrical object. It was the size of a refrigerator and was connected to a small digital timer. It was a bomb, and the scanners told them it had a big enough yield to crack the surface of the planet. They weren't able to detect it from space as it didn't activate until they were in this specific lab. The timer read that they had 2 minutes until detonation. The Lt. Colonel began issuing evacuation orders, but knew it was futile, as they had no time to escape. Nor did they have time to disarm it.

As orders were being made and people were scrambling, Cilan looked intently at the device. He was looking through it with his powers, trying to determine if it was connected to anything else. Once sure there was no other danger, he raised a palm towards the walls, and fired off a blast that tore through the walls to the outside. He then transformed into his super state and grabbed the bomb and flew out of the opening with it. Tavenport didn't realize what had occurred until he saw the kid flying off with the bomb; he called out to him to stop him, but got no response back.

Cilan was flying to the upper portions of the atmosphere with the bomb in tow. Once the air was too thin for him to breathe properly, he flung the device into space, and put his palms forward to push it away faster with his telekinetic powers. When it detonated the blast had caught up to him faster than he expected and was engulfed in the white explosion.

Tavenport tried calling to any soldier outside to see what was going on, but then heard the explosion. The opening Cilan created was illuminated in bright light and the building they were in shook violently. The explosion lasted for a few moments; Tavenport rushed outside to see the damage.

Cilan landed a few meters from the main facility. His fatigues were in tatters, his body covered in numerous cuts, and his hair and body were singed. The helmet he was wearing earlier was gone and his hair still golden, but had smoke coming off of it.

Tavenport walked up to him, glaring at the boy. "Just what the fuck did you think you were doing private?"

"Saving your lives," he grunted back, his eyes were green and there was a trail a blood from his mouth before it was wiped away with a sleeve. Medics were at his side tending to his wounds.

Thousands of light years away, a round ship was observing the actions on planet Arkanos. It looked similar to Freeza's ship. Inside various PTO soldiers were at their stations monitoring communications, and a large display was showing the explosion of the bomb they left behind. One of them turned from his console to speak to a figure sitting in the middle of the bridge.

"Sir, it looks like our plan failed. The bomb was tossed into space before detonation by the boy seen in the footage. Our scanners show he survived the explosion."

The figure was shrouded in shadows as he looked at the enlarged photo of Cilan as he tossed the bomb away.

"A saiyan?" His voice hissed. "How amusing."

Back on Arkanos, the Lt. Colonel was over his initial anger, realizing the kid was just doing his duty. He had ordered Cilan back to the troop transport so he could be fully looked over in the infirmary.

Tavenport wasn't surprised when days later Cilan was awarded a few medals and promoted to Private First Class for his actions.

* * *

_August 27__th__, Age 766_

Months after the planet Iconia was liberated, it became a frontline outpost for the GF to retake the rest of the galaxy from the PTO. It would still take years for it to be completely healed from the ravages of the war, so it still could not be repopulated. Instead the planet became Spiers base of operations. His office was the one the Prime Minister used before being evacuated. At the moment, Spiers was at his desk waiting for his 10 o'clock meeting. A knock was heard on his door, it opened and Cilan walked in.

"Reporting as ordered, sir," the Saiyan saluted. Spiers returned the salute, and motioned for Cilan to sit down.

"I called you in today for two specific reasons," Spiers presented the boy a silver attaché case. "I believe your records mentioned that you were trained in fencing."

Cilan opened the case and was revealed to contain a black metal hilt, a holster, and a data disc accompanying it. The Saiyan pulled out the hilt and pressed a button on the side of it, it activated a plume of pale white and blue energy. Cilan looked amazed at his new weapon.

"This was sent over from the armory," began Spiers. "It's still an experimental model so try to be gentle with it. The disc contains instructions on proper maintenance."

"Cool," was all he could say as he deactivated the device and placed it back in the case. He looked back at the Brig. General, "You said there was two reasons sir?"

Spiers nodded and pulled out a manila folder from his desk drawer and handed it to Cilan. "It's your new orders. You're going to be pulled from the frontlines."

The Saiyan looked up from his inspection of the folders contents surprised, "Why sir? What am I going to be doing now?"

"The Joint Chiefs have decided to send you to the Space Forces officer's school, and to be trained in covert operations. As for why, it's because of your actions on Arkano's. They feel you're much too powerful to be left on frontline infantry."

Spiers stood up from his desk then, and stood at the grand window behind it, overlooking the charred wasteland of the planet. "At the rate the war is going, it'll be another decade before we can fully retake the galaxy from the PTO. However, if we were to create a special group of powerful ki warriors like you and sent them deep behind enemy lines to cut off their logistical support, we can win in a shorter span of time. Understand Cilan?"

The Saiyan was looking at him and nodded, starting to comprehend what his new mission was. Though there was still one question on his mind, "What about Lt. Colonel Tavenport and the rest?"

The Brig. General looked over his shoulder at the Saiyan, "He's aware about your reassignment. His division will be getting two new warriors fresh from boot camp. Thanks to what we've learned from you we've been able to train more warriors to help our regular forces on the ground."

Spiers sat back at his desk before pulling out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a few drags from it. "If there are no further questions Private, you're dismissed. I want you well rested before you ship off tomorrow."

Cilan nodded and stood up. He saluted the older man and did an about face and left his office carrying his new weapon and orders.

To be continued.


	6. Infiltration

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I was getting worried no one liked this story. Sorry for the delay, but work tends to get in the way of things. I should have the next chapter out sooner. So read and review, please!**

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_August 18__th__, Age 776_

It was night time, and Cilan was in a bar waiting to be served. It had been three weeks since he had struck the deal with Bulma, though she couldn't get the materials for the gear he needed. She said it would take some time as she was working on the equipment personally, and had to find time between other projects. So with nothing much else to do the saiyan became acclimated with his new home in the meantime.

Bulma had helped him in setting up his identity, creating birth records, setting up bank accounts, and applying for government issued ID cards. One of which was a drivers license, that was handed back to him by the bartender and a tumbler filled with amber liquid. Cilan looked over the card, the picture of his face, and read the details printed on it:

Name: Cilan S. Mizu

Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 lbs

DOB: 10-17-754

All the details were correct, except the name. Bulma had insisted he have a normal Earth name, when he pointed out that Vegeta didn't, she retorted that no one should be like Vegeta. So with not much creativity he decided on combining the names of his grandfather and her mother's guard to be his alias.

Cilan put the card away and took a sip of the glass. It was bourbon and he was savoring the smoky flavor of it before it burned a trail to his gut. When he had turned 16, the other soldiers felt he was old enough to start drinking alcohol, and he took a liking to it. The others preferred beer, his preference was in liquor. He liked how it numbed his senses, and appreciated how it could black a person out. There were times where he just wanted to pass out without having any nightmares, so he would chug a bottle and pass out for hours, remembering nothing.

He was glad he decided to stay on Earth, back in the western galaxy the only types of liquors they had were clear types, much like Vodka. On Earth, he was pleased to find that there was much variety to choose from. He settled on bourbon as that had a unique flavor and had high alcohol content. Downing the last of it, he tapped the glass on the bar counter and asked for a refill. While he waited for the bartended to attend to him, he took a look at his surroundings. It was the fifth time he had been in there, as it was better than the other two bars he had visited.

When he had decided to stay on the planet, Bulma had insisted on announcing it to the rest of the group much to his chagrin. After getting positive comments from the group, except from Vegeta, he had asked them if they knew a place to get a drink. Master Roshi and Oolong had suggested a place they go to regularly; thinking nothing of the embarrassed faces of the others, he agreed to go with them. Cilan had later realized why the others were red faced; the old man and the talking pig had taken him to a strip club.

He found out from Krillin later that when his wife, Android 18, moved in she made the perverts get rid of their porn stash. They had turned to going to gentlemen's clubs to get their fix; though the club did have a bar, so he did enjoy the booze he could get. He also didn't mind watching the female dancers perform their acts; it reminded him of the seedier places he and his comrades used to go to. However, it wasn't the type of place he wanted to hang out at often. He was amused later on when he was home and changing out his clothes, to find a cocktail napkin stuffed into his pocket. It was imprinted with red lips and the name of 'Candy' on it with a phone number scribbled below it. Candy was a blonde stripper that Roshi insisted Cilan get a lap dance from. Cilan passed the note onto Roshi, figuring he'd get better use of it.

The next day he had asked again where he could go. Gohan and Videl had told him of a place they usually hung out; turned out it was a dance club. It had a bar, but Cilan found it was too loud for one to think, and the music was grating. From the looks of it, Gohan had the same feeling, but Videl had enjoyed coming to this place, which meant he had to tag along. Cilan didn't find that night a complete disappointment; his aloof nature attracted the eye of a few women, he left the bar that night with some phone numbers; though he hadn't called any of them. Still trying to settle down on the planet, he didn't have a pressing need for companionship.

On the very next day Cilan decided to find a bar on his own. The search didn't take too long, as he found a pool hall that had its own bar. It was exactly what he desired, no loud overbearing music, or a place full of horny old men; just a bar, some pool tables, a jukebox, and a television showing whatever sporting event was on. He had been there almost every other night, and decided to come here this night after a long day of training. It was around 8 at night, and the bar was nearly full, though it was a relaxed atmosphere. He was seated on a bar stool at a quiet corner of the bar just content on enjoying his drink.

Before arriving, he had changed out of his training clothes, and into his civilian attire. He was dressed in black denim jeans, a dark blue long sleeve denim dress shirt, with a white muscle shirt beneath. He still wore his black combat boots, and his dog tags were around his neck, hidden by the shirt. The denim shirt was buttoned up, but left untucked to conceal the hilt of his beam sword that was holstered on his belt. He always felt that he'd be better off having a weapon on him than without.

After the bartender refilled his glass for a sixth time, Cilan noticed the clock on the wall had shown that it was approaching 10 o'clock. He decided to call it a night, he chugged the glass and placed a few Zeni notes on the counter before turning to leave. Tomorrow he had to show up at Capsule Corp. early, as Bulma finally said he'd have his gear ready. He was ready to go to work.

As he stepped out into the cool summer night, he began to walk home. There was still too many people around for him to take off, instead he'd walk until there was nowhere around. As he walked the city streets, his mind turned to the preliminary information he had gathered on Peach Computers.

From scouring various blogs and news reports on the internet, he got a picture of the company. They were formed a decade ago and were mostly known for providing computers for schools and universities. There big break came from the new phone they launched. From what he read posted by former employees, the company was very strict on security and preventing any leaks from being made. This made gaining entry difficult, but Cilan liked a good challenge. With what information he gathered about their main headquarters, an idea was forming on how to best break in.

Cilan walked into a deserted park, so he could take off for home. Before doing so, he heard a scream in the distance. His instincts kicked in then and he stalked off in the direction of the noise, the beam sword drawn. As he neared the source of the scream, he noticed two figures by a tree. Moving silently as to not make his presence known, he saw that a hooded man was holding a woman against a tree, with a knife pressed to her neck.

Feeling that he wouldn't need the beam sword, the Saiyan deactivated the device and re-holstered it. He crept closer to the two, the woman finally noticed Cilan, but he motioned for her to stay quiet. When he was within arm's reach he grabbed the punk by the shoulder and roughly turned him around. The punk was shocked momentarily before his face was caught in a straight punch to the left eye, knocking him out cold. Cilan held back enough to not kill him, he watched the other man as he fell to the ground making sure he wouldn't get up. He pried the knife from unconscious assailant and looked it over. It was a cheap switchblade, so Cilan snapped the blade in two before dropping it on the ground. He then looked over to the attacked woman.

The woman still stood against the tree, her breathing heavy, and her hand on her neck rubbing where the knife was earlier. The saiyan noted that she was probably a few inches below 6 feet. Her face was pale, her hair was dark, and her eyes were green. She was wearing blue sweat pants, white tennis shoes, and a loose white t-shirt. His mind concluded that she was out for a jog. He watched her for a few more moments before he spoke to her.

"You ok?" his voice was gruff. She looked up at him, her eyes were still wide. She stared at him for a few moments before she nodded.

"Call the police," he motioned to the other man. "He'll be out for a while."

The jogger nodded numbly as she looked at her unconscious attacker. Cilan then decided to turn and walk away, but not before adding, "Go jog in the day time. You might not be so lucky next time."

At hearing those words the woman looked up, but was surprised to find her savior had disappeared. She shook her head and ran off to find help. Cilan was up in the air, flying towards an apartment complex.

Much to Bunny's disappointment, he decided to move into his own place instead of staying at Capsule Corp. After looking at numerous houses and apartments, Cilan decided on a two bedroom penthouse apartment in the upper class district of West City. It was expensive compared to the other properties he looked at, but the stipend he received each month easily covered it and for his amenities. It offered him a great view of the city, but he chose the apartment for more practical reasons.

The first reason being that it offered him few neighbors for him to interact with; he still preferred being left alone. The second was that the apartment was on the top floor, so he could fly in and out via the balcony discreetly. The other fighters told him how the rest of the planet wasn't aware of how to manipulate their ki, so seeing people flying around would raise questions.

Cilan touched down on the balcony softly, before sliding the glass door open and stepping inside the darkened apartment. He turned on a lamp on a nearby table, illuminating the living room in pale yellow light. The penthouse was already fully furnished so all he needed was to bring along most of his personal items from the ship. On a nearby desk sat a black laptop, it was one of the few things he bought. Opening it up he checked to see if there were any new messages. After seeing nothing important he closed it up and went to the kitchen.

Wanting a quick snack, the saiyan opened one of the doors to his stainless steel refrigerator and pulled out a turkey leg and a bottle of beer. He leaned on the kitchen counter as he tore through the drumstick; it was leftovers of a turkey Bunny made for him the previous day. Tossing the meatless bone into the trash, Cilan uncapped the beer bottle and drained it in a single pull. After tossing the empty bottle away and belching, he made his way to the bedroom.

Inside the sparse room, he placed his wallet and beam sword on the nightstand and deposited his clothes into a hamper. Walking towards the bathroom he glanced at the top of the dresser. On it were the few pictures he kept with him. Some were of his younger years with his mother, and the others were from his time in the GF. Behind the pictures was a frame holding the medals he earned.

After washing up, Cilan laid down on his bed and replayed the events of the day. Within a minute he began to snore.

* * *

The following morning Cilan was walking the corridors of Capsule Corp, he was ten minutes early for his 9 o'clock meeting with Bulma. He wore similar clothes that he had on the night before, but had a black backpack slung over his shoulder. Much to his relief Bunny was busy tending to her garden to escort him. As he entered the lab, he found Bulma working at her desk wearing her white lab coat. She looked from her work and greeted her guest.

"Morning Cilan, you're here early! I'm still finishing up." She motioned him to a seat at an adjacent work bench. "Go sit for a bit."

Taking a seat and setting down his backpack, he waited. Not wanting to just sit and twiddle his thumbs, the saiyan looked over the gadgets on the bench. What he found were random circuit boards, half-built electronics, however his eyes paused at a white circular gadget; it had a green screen with grid lines. Cilan picked it up and activated a button at the top of it. The screen lit up and showed 3 orange dots relative to the devices location; it was the dragon radar.

He had learned about the dragon balls when Goku was going over his fight with Vegeta and Nappa. Learning of the wishes they granted, Cilan was ready to hunt them down. Until Goku had told them of their limitations, guessing what the younger saiyan was thinking and dampening his enthusiasm.

Bulma recognized the activated sound of the radar and looked over at him with it. "You want to find the dragon balls?"

"No," Cilan deactivated the device and set it aside. "There's nothing they can give me," he said flatly.

Bulma frowned, but turned back to her work deciding it was best to drop the issue. The minutes were filled in silence as the blue haired scientist finished her work, while the saiyan tried finding things to occupy his mind. Just when Cilan was about to start counting the holes in the ceiling tiles did Bulma finally announce that she was done.

"Catch Cilan," she tossed him a black band. He caught it easily and looked to see it was a black digital watch. Looking at it for a moment, he looked back at the scientist with a raised eyebrow, "Where's the rest?"

"You're holding it. Now put it on!"

He clasped the watch on his left wrist, and then looked at Bulma expectantly.

"Press the gray button on the side."

Doing so, his body was engulfed in an orange light for a split second, and found himself in his suit. Unlike the Saiyaman suit, or the spandex and armor Vegeta wore, the suit Cilan designed centered on three main pieces. One was an all-black one-piece jumpsuit made of Nomex. It was modeled after the flight suits pilots wear, as they provided lots of pockets to store items, and the Nomex gave it fire resistance and durability which helped in resisting blasts. Back in the GF, Cilan found the flight suit to be the best for combat, as it was one-piece and helped in not getting snagged when he was mobile.

The second piece was the Kevlar tactical vest that covered his torso. It was designed to provide extra protection from explosions and shrapnel, but for Cilan it also provided more protection in close quarters combat as it could absorb punches. For extra protection it was lined with ceramic plating; it was similar to the material Vegeta's armor used, but was stiffer and non-expandable. The vest was lined with holsters and pockets to store items.

His head was covered in a black balaclava, or more commonly known as a ski mask. However, unlike typical ski masks, the balaclava had a hinged face guard that allowed a person to lower the front part to expose the entire face. Using a gloved hand he lowered the face guard to show his face, both hands were covered in black nomex gloves. He looked at Bulma, "Does the balaclava have the built-in throat mic?"

She nodded, "I also added in the earpiece on the side."

Cilan nodded and walked to a mirror Bulma had set-up. With this suit, he nearly looked the same as he did on missions for the GF. The only thing missing was a helmet and a pair of goggles.

"You have the mask and the computer?" Cilan asked over his shoulder. Bulma walked over and back from her desk to retrieve two items. The first was a miniature computer, which consisted of a 4 inch touchscreen display and a metal casing with two straps. It was created from parts cannibalized from her prototype smartphone.

Cilan looked over the computer and strapped it to the underside of his left forearm. Pressing a small button on the side to power on the device, the screen lit up. Instead of a bright white screen, the display had a dark contrast with white lettering, thus reducing glare. He opened a few of the programs such as the GPS to test it out; finding it satisfactory he powered down the device.

"What's the battery life?"

"12 hours of continuous use, or 24 on standby mode on a full charge."

"The camera and radio jammer?" Cilan held out his hand for the mask.

"It'll block any camera within 30 feet at the max setting, and will block any radio signal in the same radius," Bulma hesitated for a moment before she handed it over.

He moved the face guard up against to cover his mouth and nose, leaving only an opening for his eyes, and then he looked over the black mask. It looked like a hockey mask but hand no openings except for two small horizontal slits over the mouth and two small holes for the nostrils. Where there were supposed to be openings for the eyes, was instead a built-in darkened visor. The mask was made out of the same ceramic armor the vest was lined with.

The mask was the final piece of his gear; it was also an original idea of his. In the GF he was issued a helmet with goggles, but he always found the helmet constricting when he went into his super state as his hair grew longer. It also didn't provide much protection to his face. He looked at the mask for a few more moments before he placed it on his face and strapped it tight behind his head then looked at the mirror again.

What starred back at him was an inhuman figure that terrorized the PTO for years. The dark clothing was menacing enough, that it terrified the enemy. At one point many of them simply ran away when they heard word he was skulking around on their planet. Even the regular GF troops gave him a wide berth once they saw him, despite being a friendly. Looking himself in the mirror he felt like his old self when he was out in the field.

"The visor has the different modes?" Cilan still hadn't looked away from the mirror.

Bulma nodded, "There's a button on the left side of the visor that can toggle between night vision, thermal vision, and x-ray vision. The lens can also lighten up in darkened rooms automatically or darken in bright light. You can also change it via the computer."

Bulma was silently watching him, frowning. A part of her was saying that it was a bad idea to give him an excuse to revert to his old ways, and this wasn't helping him adapt to life on Earth. The logical part reminded her that Capsule Corp won't be safe until the person who had been selling her tech was found. Logic won out and she made the equipment he asked for. The suit and the vest were simple enough and so were the gadgets; but she hated the mask.

Even though she made it, it still sent a shiver down her spine on seeing Cilan wear it. It made him look inhuman, like some sort of monster. The only people to wear masks were villains she thought to herself. She closed her eyes and mentally shook her head of those thoughts. Instead she told herself that when this was over she'd get Cilan to open up more. She was beginning to crave a smoke.

"I've also added in the digital zoom and the scanner. But can't you guys use your senses to detect ki?" Bulma asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ki detection is limited to only living things. I can't pick up artificial life forms with my senses. I also can't use them to run analysis on different things."

Bulma had a thoughtful look on her face; she was beginning to realize that this might be the first fighter who appreciated on using technology in battle.

It was then the doors to her lab opened, Bulma and Cilan looked over to see Trunks, Goten, and Gohan walk in.

"Hey mom! I heard Cilan was here…" Trunks began but stopped short when he saw the black figure next to his mom. His mind immediately concluded it was hostile and that he had to protect his mother, so he charged up and flew at it. "Get away from her!"

"Trunks stop!" Bulma stood in her son's way with her arms out. "This is Cilan."

The young boy was floating in mid-air with his leg drawn back ready to deliver a powerful kick; the same kick he gave Majin Buu years back. Trunks blinked a few times before he powered down and landed. He was rubbing the back of his head and began to chuckle.

"Sorry Cilan, didn't recognize you there."

Cilan just nodded and glanced at the other two as they walked up to them. Goten was ready to follow Trunks' lead when Gohan held him back. Trunk had calmed down enough to take a good look at the suit, and his eyes widened and turned to his mother. "Mom, you made that?"

'Yes dear," Bulma closed her eyes, already knowing where this was going.

"Can you make me one?" Trunks grinned at her.

"No son of mine is going to dress up as some silly ninja," Vegeta had quipped from the back of the lab. As usual he was standing against a wall with his arms crossed, and wearing a black tank top and grey sweat pants. He was in the gravity chamber doing his daily training regime when he felt his son's ki spike and went to investigate. When he entered the lab he got a look at the suit, and gave pause. He could admit that it looked formidable and was more practical than the gi's the other fighters liked to wear into battle. Though he'd still preferred for his son to wear traditional Saiyan armor and wouldn't let his son wear anything else, even though his son still wore that green gi.

"Besides Trunks, wouldn't you rather wear a Great Saiyaman costume?" Asked Gohan, he had the day off from university so he decided to come along with Goten to visit Trunks. He recognized the same style watch on Cilans wrist to the one on his wrist with his civilian clothes. His own opinion on the uniform was that it was too intimidating, but was astute enough to see it could work for infiltration.

"No way, Cilans is way cooler looking!"

Gohan crossed his arms, "Oh come on! The Great Saiyaman uniform is the epitome of style. Right Goten?"

His little brother just looked up at him and smiled, nodding his head in agreement. Behind his back he had his fingers crossed. He was still wearing the same orange gi, but was thinking of wearing something else. He thought Cilan's suit was scary looking, which to the little boy made it even better.

"Why does it have to be black?" Gohan wanted to change the subject.

"It blends in better in darkness and it intimidates the enemy. Gets them scared, make mistakes, create openings for an attack." Cilan turned from them and went to the backpack he left on the bench. He opened it up and pulled out his beam sword and the belt and holster for it. Snapping it around his waist he then began to pull out various items from the backpack and laid them out on the table: A black KA-BAR knife, a stainless steel multi-tool, a small black flashlight, garrote wire, zip ties, and 4 stun grenades.

Bulma's eyes bulged at the last item, "Grenades?"

"Flashbangs. Non-lethal. Designed to disorient." Cilan had his mask removed and began placing the grenades on his vest, moving them out of the reach of Goten and Trunks.

"What's with the knife?" Gohan held up the KA-BAR to inspect it.

"A good knife always comes in handy," Cilan was putting away the other items, and then held out his hand for the knife; which Gohan handed back. After placing the knife and sheath on his vest, he put his mask on and walked back to the mirror for a final once over. Flexing his body to get a feel for the additional weight, he pressed the gray button on the watch and stored his suit and was quickly changed back into his normal clothes.

"So what do you think?" Bulma was leaning against her desk with a cigarette in hand.

"Bulma," Cilan began as he zipped up the empty backpack. "You do excellent work."

The blue haired scientist smiled, "Thanks! At least you can appreciate my work; unlike Spiky over there." She looked over at Vegeta and stuck her tongue out. In response he snarled at her.

"Give me a week and I'll have you're the identity of your leak." Cilan slung the backpack and began to walk out of the lab.

"Do you need any help?" Gohan piped up. "I have the next few nights free."

"I work better alone."

"Don't kill anybody!" Bulma had nearly shouted at his retreating back.

"I won't," he said over his shoulder as he stepped through the lab doors. He smirked when he heard Trunks asking Bulma for grenades for his birthday.

* * *

_August 23__rd__, Age 776_

Cilan stood on the roof of a 20 story office building that stood across from the main headquarters of Peach Computers. It was 2 in the morning and had been perched there for the last half-hour looking over the other building. He was viewing it with x-ray vision, getting a count of the security personnel and the routine of their patrol.

Unlike the campus layput of Capsule Corp, Peach Computers had a single 40 story building. Their manufacturing plant was located elsewhere, but their main research facilities were at the headquarters. They also stored their datacenter on site, which was Cilan's main goal. The previous nights he had broken into the department of building and safety, and the offices of the architecture firm that designed the building to acquire copies of the buildings schematics.

Unsurprisingly the government building was abysmally easy to break into, while the private company had put his gear to its paces. The saiyan was pleased to find the gear had worked more than he hoped for. He hadn't heard news of any reports of breaking and entering at either location; so he was confident about tonight's venture.

From what he had gathered from looking at the schematics, the mainframes for the company were stored in the basement of the building that was about 3 stories below the main lobby. The company kept the servers off the web, which made hacking into them impossible. His only option was to break in and physically connect to them to get the data he needed, which in itself was another problem. Going through the garage was a no go, as the elevators and stairwells were not connected to the server room. Going through the lobby was also out as there too many security personnel for him to knockout at once, and he couldn't kill them, they were just hired security not enemy soldiers.

The only route to take was using the elevator shaft, but the regular passenger elevators were not useful as they ended at 20 floors so he would have to exit the elevator and go through the other and risk attracting attention. However, the service elevator, the one used by the building management was accessible from the top floor to the basement.

He would have to make entry via the roof, which from his observation was not guarded. Observation also showed that the building had 100 guards, two for each floor and 10 in the main lobby and 10 in the underground garage. He was guessing the datacenter would likely have no more than 5 guards.

Going over the entry in his mind for one final time, he switched off the thermal vision and started the camera jammer function on his mini-computer, then flew up to the roof of the company. Before he landed he saw there was no one on the roof and that the helipad was illuminated but empty. The computer showed there were three active cameras on the roof but were jammed. Touching down softly on the outside of the helipad he quickly made his way to the access door.

It was locked, but he turned the tumblers over with his powers and gained entry. The stairwell was empty so he moved silently down the steps; his soles on his boots were padded with rubber to not make noise as he walked. He found another locked door, but before he unlocked it he turned on the x-ray vision. His vision was filled with a dark blue field and the white monochrome images of the door frame. He looked through the walls and found the skeletal structure of one guard walking the corridor, while the other was in the bathroom. Much to his luck, the guard on patrol was nowhere near the service elevator and he could sneak out without notice.

Doing the same trick again, he slowly opened the door and stepped into the 40th floor silently. Making sure the door didn't slam behind him, he walked slightly crouched towards the elevator. His view was back to normal and his earpiece was tuned into the radio channel of the guards. As he neared the elevator he mentally opened the doors to it and stepped into the shaft and floated down while the doors closed behind him before the sentry walked by.

As he moved down the building there was a 3D image of the building schematic in the upper left corner of his visor, showing his location, he was currently passing by the 30th floor. He was listening to the security communications, and so far there were some reports of the video cameras showing snow, though their bored tone suggested that they had no concern.

Cilan had contemplated on using one of the stations of a worker to access the files, but he wasn't sure if it could gain all access to the servers. It would also take extra time, and he planned on having this done in under an hour. As it was, it had been 3 minutes since he first made entry.

'Half-way now.' The saiyan thought as he landed on the roof the service elevator. The map showed he was at the 20th floor. 'Probably programmed to stay mid-way in the building when not in use.'

He quietly opened the access door to see inside the elevator cab to be sure it was empty. After closing it he looked at the back of the cab and found that the shaft was big enough to have a space for the elevator counterweight to run parallel with the cab. There was enough space for him to crawl down and continue his descent, but the counterweight blocked the path.

Turning his attention back to the cab, he mentally pressed the button for the elevator to go to the top floor. As elevator began to move upwards, he stopped on the metal girder separating the cab and the counterweight. Once it was clear he stepped off into the empty chamber and continued his trek downward. It was then he heard more chatter on the radio.

"The service elevator just opened up on the 40th floor. No passengers inside." A slightly perturbed voice reported.

"Maybe it was a ghost," mocked another guard.

Cilan smirked beneath the mask as he passed the floor of the main lobby. He landed at the floor of the elevator shaft and again activated the x-ray mode on his visor and looked through the elevator doors. To his surprise, he didn't find additional guards posted in the server room.

'Security is focused more on the R&D labs than the datacenter,' he surmised. However, after his visor returned to normal, his computer indicated there were over two dozen video cameras inside covering each inch of the room.

Before opening the doors, he went over how to plan out his next move. 'Can't use the jammer for long, they'll get suspicious,' was his first thought. He would need to hack into the closed circuit feed and make it so the jamming was a glitch like earlier. Setting the camera jammer to maximum, he slid the elevator doors open and stepped onto the floor.

The room was about the size of a one bedroom apartment, and the décor was all white. There were ten black mainframes that were a foot taller than the saiyan. They were organized into two rows, each perpendicular to the other. Unlike the server rooms of the previous places he broke into, there was no avalanche of wires running on the floor and ceiling; instead each server was connected to the ceiling via metal piping.

Moving quickly, he looked over each server until he found the one labeled 'security'. He found an open data port and hooked it into his computer. The machine performed its task on overriding the security protocols. It wasn't moving fast enough for Cilan, as the radio chatter was picking up in his earpiece.

"Video feed from the server room is still cut-off."

"Run a self-diagnostic."

Cilan knew they'd send someone down if the feed didn't return soon. The computer indicated it had breached the security, so he went to work. First order of business was to make the video replay looped footage of the previous hour and then fed it into the live stream. He paused then, listening to the radio to see if his trick worked.

"Server room cameras are back online." One voice commanded, which Cilan guessed to be the main guard. "Jones, put a ticket in with the maintenance crew, the cameras have been acting up all night."

The saiyan disconnected from the server and walked over to another labeled 'R & D' and began the second order of business. From the timeline he had gathered from Bulma, she had first come up with the idea of the phone in early spring of last year. Her target launch was supposed to have been in the following year, but the prototype she had shown him was not finished until late in the winter. By then she had found out Peach Computers had submitted patents for the same design a month before. That meant between spring and winter the plans were leaked. Cilan had figured it would have been sometime in the summer as that was when the design for the prototype was finished.

Once the computer had broken into the second server, he went through the notes from the production team of the phone. Most of the early notes showed that the phone the team first designed was more mundane with a keyboard instead of relying on a touchscreen, however one note from the lead designer, Thomas Mitchell, caught his eye:

**Date: 9-4-775**

**I've had an inspiration in a dream last night. The original designs have been discarded, and I've submitted a radical new direction. If the meeting with my supervisors goes smoothly we can begin work immediately. Attached is a copy of my notes for the new phone.**

Cilan opened the attachment and saw a near duplicate of the blueprints Bulma showed him before. He began to download copies of the notes and attachments to his computer. It was enough evidence, but he needed to find out who sold out Capsule Corp.

Moving onto the accounting mainframe the saiyan performed the same task of breaking in and began to go through the financial records. He was looking at transactions made within the same time as the new phone design was submitted. Nothing immediately caught his eye until he saw a payout for 100,000 Zeni, authorized two weeks after the note from Mitchell was made. Digging further, it showed the payment was authorized by one Dennis Coleman, which from company records showed to be the Chief Financial Officer. The payment itself was sent to an offshore bank but with no name attached.

Cilan looked further and found a similar transaction made a few months later in the same amount. He downloaded the accounting data, and disconnected from the system. He didn't have a name yet, but he was close, and had enough evidence for Bulma on proving her designs were stolen.

Then he went back to the security server and tapped into the live video feed of the rest of the building, it showed that the guards were still on normal patrol. His final plan was to erase any trace of him hacking into the system; the computer began the data scrub while the video feed from the server room was still showing the looped footage, it was programmed to return to a live feed in an hour. He set the camera jammer to a lower setting as he wouldn't be seen on camera at the moment. After making sure he left no trace of his presence he went back to the elevators and began to float up to the top floor.

On his way up, he noticed the service elevator was on the lobby floor. He squeezed into the shaft space for the counterweight and cleared the elevator and continued on his way up. When he reached the 40th floor he found a problem. Through his x-ray visor, he saw there were two guards now on patrol on the floor; the previous one that was in the bathroom was now stationed by the stairway access to the roof.

Cilan weighed his options. He could go barging in and toss flashbangs to blind the guards and escape, but that would notify the rest of the building he was inside. It would also take too long for the guard to walk somewhere else, so he needed to make the guard to step away from the door. An idea hit him then, he remembered a guard was joking about ghosts earlier. He closed his eyes and concentrated on all the lights on the floor, and then he shattered every single one telekinetically. Then he listened to the radio.

"This is Crusher on the 40th floor; we just had all the lights blow out."

"Roger, we're sending up additional personnel."

Cilan had to move fast, the counterweight moved towards the bottom of the building while the cables of the elevator cab were moving up. The additional guards would arrive in minutes. Through the x-ray visor he saw the two guards were outside the elevator talking to each other. His eye caught a glimpse of a waste basket in the corner. With his mind he picked it up and flung it down the hallway on the far side of the floor. The two guards went to investigate the noise and didn't notice the doors of the elevator opening.

Switching to thermal vision, his vision changed from the dark blue and white color scheme to a purple field. The walls and floor were purple, but the wires that fed electricity to the lights still glowed yellow. After he stepped out of the elevator shaft, Cilan looked over to the guards. Under the thermal visor they glowed red and yellow, they had their flashlights trained on the overturned trash can. With the padding on his boots he quietly strode to the roof access door and exited. Once he reached the roof he stayed in the shadows to make sure he was alone. When he was sure the roof was clear he took off for home.

* * *

_August 27__th__, 776_

Bulma sat in her office, listening to a presentation from Cilan on what had uncovered about the leak. Instead of her normal lab clothing, she was wearing a green dress. She was sitting forward in her leather chair with her arms resting on the desk listening with a bored expression. Cilan was going over on the information he found on the R&D notes.

"Cilan, I already know they took my designs, I need to know who sold it to them," Bulma interrupted.

"I was getting to that. Just look at this note and the attached schematic." He handed over a copy of the notes of Thomas Mitchell. Cilan was dressed in the same civilian clothing; he had a manila folder on the desk as he sat opposite of Bulma. His eyes had bags under them as he spent some extra nights on surveillance.

"Ok, so Thomas was the one who copied my blueprints." Bulma looked up at Cilan.

"Note the date," he stated before handing over a printout of the wire transfer. "Two weeks after that note there was this money transfer to an offshore bank, authorized by Peach's CFO."

She looked it over and her eyes widened at the amount. "Who does the account belong to?"

"It's registered to a shell company associated with Peach," Cilan held up a finger before Bulma could interrupt. "However, when I went through the bank's records I found that on the first of each month around $10,000 Zeni in cash is mailed to a post office box in the city. That box is registered to this person." Cilan handed over an 8x4 color photo.

Bulma saw the image of a man with a smiling face, thin glasses, hazel eyes, and slicked back brown hair. Her mind couldn't immediately place the face and looked to Cilan for an answer.

"His name is Bobby Delmint. He's a low level IT guy. My best guess is that he had enough clearance to make copies of your blueprints and sold them to Mitchell."

Her memory began to remember bits of what she knew of this employee. "Why did he do it?"

"My first suspicion was because of a debt," Cilan sat back on his chair. "But his financial records came back clean. I expanded my search into his family when I found the motive." Cilan paused then for effect.

"Go on," Bulma leaned forward.

"Delmint and Mitchell are related," he said nonchalantly. When her face showed surprise, he continued. "Specifically, Mitchell's niece is married to Bobby's cousin. My best guess is that Mitchell found out Bobby worked for you and bribed him to steal any tech to help him on his phone project."

Cilan handed over the manila folder. "If you look over the earlier productions notes of Mitchell, you'll see that his bosses weren't impressed with his first design. So when he found out from Bobby what you were designing, he jumped at it. I also think his bosses knew where he got the design as the CFO authorized that transfer, and a second one later."

Bulma skimmed through the contents, her face unreadable. After a minute she placed all the documents into the folder and put it away into her desk drawer. She sat-up and extended a hand towards the saiyan. "Thanks for your help Cilan. I can fire him and my company can be safe."

Cilan didn't make a move, "I wouldn't recommend you do that."

Bulma lowered her arm and raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

"Because the evidence I gathered was obtained very illegally. So you couldn't use it against Peach Computers or Bobby without opening yourself up to legal trouble."

She sat back down and crossed her arms, her face frowning. "Shit, you're right. So what can I do?"

"I have an idea," when he heard no objection he continued, "We know now who the leak is. We can catch him in the act. I think you should give out another design, one that Peach would like to have. Then I can keep tabs on Bobby until he makes a deal. Then we can confront him about it and make him confess for his earlier actions."

Bulma thought over his idea for a moment before she nodded in agreement, "I have been working on making a smaller processor for my next phone design. I could give it out to my team and wait for him to steal it."

"Right," Cilan began. "I suggested you also call in your chief in IT to explain the situation and that you want Bobby's computer monitored for when he steals the design."

"Are you sure we can trust him?" she was hesitant.

"I've done reconnaissance on him, he's honest." Cilan sat back and watched as Bulma picked up the phone to call in who he suggested.

* * *

_September 4__th__, Age 776_

It was a sunny Saturday in the downtown area of West City. The lunch hour made the area bustle with foot traffic at many restaurants. At one particular café, on an outside table sat two men talking over lunch. One was young man of average height, with slicked back brown hair, thin glasses that shielded hazel eyes, and a perpetual smile on his face. The other was an older gentleman with thinning dirty blond hair, brown eyes, and weathered face. They were Bobby Delmint, and Thomas Mitchell.

Both men were dressed casually, and were busy discussing local news, until the purpose of their meeting was revealed.

"So what have you got for me now Bobby?" Thomas leaned forward.

"New processor design for a new phone Bulma is working on." Bobby slid a yellow envelope across the table. Thomas opened the packet and glanced at the notes before he pocketed the envelope.

He took a sip of his drink as he looked at Bobby, "She hasn't figured out you sold out the company?"

"Nope," Bobby sat back, his smile bigger. "I've covered my tracks well enough. She still doesn't know how she was beaten by you guys. Now about my payment."

"Same as the last time, but my bosses will have to like what they see."

"Oh they will."

Unknown to both men was that they were being watched from a non-descript building that was across the street from the café. The fifth floor of it was empty except for Cilan, he was wearing his normal clothes. He was at the window manning a camera that was set-up on a tri-pod. It was trained at the table both Thomas and Bobby were seated at. Next to him on a table sat an open black case with foam padding; it held his laptop computer. The computer was hooked up to an external antenna and was running an audio program. The sound coming out of the computer speakers was the conversation between the two men.

After he discovered who the leak was, Cilan had broken into Bobby's home and planted various tiny listening bugs on his personal items, such as his watch and glasses. When Bulma had agreed to the plan, he had been following the IT professional, to see when he would steal the plans and sell them. Cilan wasn't disappointed that the plans were accessed and copied just a day after Bulma revealed them to her team. He looked up the camera eyepiece and smirked. With the video and the recorded conversation, Cilan couldn't wait to see the look on Bobby's face when his little plan would blow up in his face.

* * *

_September 6__th__, Age 776_

Bobby was walking the halls of Capsule Corp to the office of Bulma. His usual smile was replaced with a worried expression. When he walked in that Monday morning he found an e-mail informing him of a meeting that was scheduled with the company's president. He was wondering if they found out of what he did, but his mind kept reassuring him that it was nothing to worry about. When Bobby entered the outer office, the secretary informed Bulma of his presence. He was waved in moments later.

Bulma's office wasn't a traditional corner office due to the dome shape of the building; however it afforded her a great panoramic view of her compound and the city. She was behind her desk looking through documents when she looked up at him smiling.

Bobby was starting to feel at ease as he stepped through the doorway, until the door closed behind him. He looked over and saw Cilan was hiding behind the door and closed it shut, and then engaged the lock on it. He stood against the wall with his arms crossed and gave the IT worker his normal grim expression. Bobby visibly gulped, he didn't know much about Cilan, only that he appeared less than two months ago and worked as Bulma's personal guard. He also noted with some jealousy that Cilan was a topic most of the female staff liked to talk about daily.

"Come sit Mr. Delmint," Bulma said softly directing him to the chair in front of her desk.

"What can I do for you Mrs. Briefs?" Bobby sat down fidgeting slightly.

She opened a drawer on her desk and handed Bobby a few photos. When he looked them over, his face was shocked to see they were picture of Thomas and himself at their lunch on Saturday. He looked back up and saw that Bulma's face was now frowning; her blue eyes were cold and piercing.

"You can start by explaining why you're having lunch with the senior designer of a rival company?" Her tone was flat.

"Well… we're related," Bobby began.

"I'm well aware of that," she cut him off. "I also know you gave him a copy of the processor design," she then pulled out a sound recorder and played the conversation he had had with Thomas.

"I also know you're getting 10,000 Zeni a month from an offshore bank account registered to Peach. Money given to you when you sold my phone design to them last year. I have enough here to fire you, and I will."

Bobby's brow was drenched in sweat, "Look, Mrs. Briefs…"

"No, you look," she cut him off again her tone angrier. "You can either confess to everything you've done against my company, or I'll contact the IRS and tell them of the extra money you're getting. Cooperate and you'll only be fired, or you can spend the next few years in prison for tax evasion. So which is it?"

His face fell then, realizing the ramifications of what he'll face. He turned his face back to the door to see if he could escape. He met the grim expression of Cilan, who was standing against the door; he shook his head at Bobby. Turning back to the angry face of Bulma, he closed his eyes and agreed to her terms.

* * *

_September 10__th__, Age 776_

Harrison's was an upscale restaurant that catered to the business class; it was located in the heart of the financial district. At the moment it was half-empty, as it was still an hour until the lunch time. Seated in a private booth was the president of Peach Computers, Daniel Peterson. Unlike the typical way other executives acted, he always dressed himself in casual clothing in all his meetings, which usually consisted of wearing turtleneck sweaters, jeans and tennis shoes. He kept his brown hair unruly, and sported a 5 o'clock shadow.

He hadn't ordered yet, he was waiting on his impromptu meeting with Bulma Briefs. The blue haired scientist was known as the, 'Ice Queen of Capsule Corp' to the rest of the business community. Behind her friendly smile was a ruthless business woman. So it was with some trepidation when he accepted a request from her to meet on this day.

Bulma had walked in, and was escorted by a maître d' towards the table where Daniel sat. She held her head high and carried a black purse. She was wearing a dark blue blazer, with matching high waist skirt, and yellow blouse. Under the chandelier lights of the restaurant, the pearl earrings and golden necklace she wore sparkled. Her face was made up with light blush and ruby red lipstick.

Trailing behind her was Cilan, keeping watch on the other patrons. Instead of his normal clothes, he was wearing a black business suit, with a white long sleeve collared shirt, and black tie. His face was grim as usual, but his eyes were hidden by dark sunglasses. He would have completed the professional look if it weren't for the combat boots he still wore. To the other patrons, they weren't sure if he was Bulma's bodyguard or date.

When Daniel's caught sight of Bulma, he sat up and extended his arm in greeting. She shook his hand and exchanged greetings before she sat across from him. Cilan stood off to the side his back to them as he kept watch over the floor. Daniel glanced at him before turning to Bulma.

"A bit too young for you, isn't he?"

Bulma raised her eyebrow until she glanced at Cilan, and then began to laugh. "No, no, no. He's just my bodyguard."

"Would he like to sit down with us?"

"No," Bulma glanced back at Cilan. "He thinks it'll be manlier to just stand around and scowl at everyone."

Cilan rolled his eyes, while Daniel nodded before he changed the subject, "So what prompted today's meeting Mrs. Briefs?"

"Please, call me Bulma. I'm glad you agreed to the meeting on short notice."

"When the president of the biggest company on the planet requests a meeting, it's pretty hard to ignore. Is this about some partnership?"

"This is about your new phone."

"Ah, yes." Daniels smiled then, "A great little kit. About 3 million units have been sold so far. I heard you're working on your own type."

She smiled then, "I am, but before I can release it, I need to resolve a little issue with your company."

"What issue?" His smile faltered then.

She opened her purse then, and pulled out a photo and handed it to him. It was the photo of Bobby and Thomas on their meeting nearly a week before. Daniel's recognized the senior designer, and of Bobby Delmint. He contemplated playing dumb, but knew better. "What do you want?"

"Oh just all the patents your company has on the phone, as they rightfully belong to me. I'd also like 10 percent of all gross profit you make on the phone."

Daniel's face stiffened then, "That's ridiculous!"

"Now, now, hear me out. It'll be cheaper for your company in the long run. The alternative would be for me to sue, and with the written confession and evidence Bobby provided, it'll be a slam dunk case and you'll lose billions." She sat back in her chair, "Not to mention the public outrage."

He slumped in his seat, and thought over his options. A moment later he looked back at her, "Fine, I'll agree if you can keep this private."

"Excellent," she grinned at him, before she sat up from her seat. "I'll have my lawyers call your lawyers. If you don't mind, I have to go; you know how busy we presidents can be." She turned and left, Cilan following her.

Bulma had an evil smile on her face as she stepped out of the restaurant. The Ice Queen had struck again.

To be continued.


	7. Training Days

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, but I've been fighting a bad case of writer's block.**

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_September 20__th__, Age 776_

In the early pre-dawn hours, Cilan's spaceship was flying through the air. The saiyan was at the helm piloting the ship towards West City. The time since the meeting between Bulma and Daniel had been uneventful for him. When he wasn't escorting Bulma for business meetings, he had been training in the gravity chamber, though not the one inside Capsule Corp.; Vegeta didn't share that one. Instead Bulma and her father dusted off the old Capsule #3, the ship that the older Saiyan used to train for the battle with the androids.

As the ship neared the outskirts of the city, Cilan angled it towards Capsule Corp. It didn't take long for the ship to reach the compound. The gray craft hovered over one building that looked like a sports stadium. Once it was oriented, it began to lower itself to the ground. The skids of the ship touched down and the engines died down. Overhead, a dome rose over the structure, revealing that the hangar had a retractable roof. Once the craft was parked, a ramp was wheeled to the side of the ship, where a square opening appeared. Bulma and her father walked up the stairs of the ramp and passed through the opening.

Since first laying eyes on the ship, this was the first time Bulma was able to get inside of it. Since her fateful meeting with Peterson, she was busy making space to park the ship. The company had to buy additional surrounding land to house the hangar. To her though, it was worth it to get new scientific knowledge.

Once both scientists were inside, they were greeted by Cilan. He leaned against the cockpit door in his training clothes, which consisted of a gray muscle shirt, black sweat pants, and dark blue sneakers. The saiyan nodded at them.

"Morning!" Greeted the scientists, Bulma and her father were both dressed in their lab coats, each carrying pencils and notebooks. "So Cilan, care to give us a tour?" Bulma had regarded him expectantly.

Cilan moved from the door and walked past both of them. "Follow me," he said over his shoulder.

The two complied and followed along silently. The trio passed through a set of sliding doors which led to an open room that had a single table set along one wall in front of a large display. Beyond the table were rows of chairs that were bolted to the floor.

"Briefing room", was all Cilan said as he walked to another set of doors.

"Hey Cilan, I have a question," Bulma's father piped up. "Does this ship have a name? I didn't see any markings on it."

"Arkbird," the saiyan simply replied. Mr. Briefs quickly jotted that down on his notebook. As they passed the doors, they found a narrow hallway lined with 20 doors on each side.

"Crew quarters," Cilan muttered as he walked down the hallway. Bulma was jotting down notes on her book. She had drawn a rough outline of the ship and was filling in what she had seen so far.

"How many people does this ship hold?" Bulma looked up from her notes.

"It can house a platoon and the ship's crew; so about 60 to 80 personnel."

Bulma nodded and wrote further in her notes. "By the way, how did you get this ship? It seems to be so large for a single person. Did the GF give it to you after you retired?" She frowned before adding, "Or did you steal it?"

Cilan stopped and looked at her before. "No, I didn't steal it. It also wasn't given to me by the GF; they only let me keep my beam sword."

Bulma's face relaxed then, before she raised an eyebrow. "How did you get it then?"

Cilan turned back around then and continued down the hallway. "It was given to me by the president of the aerospace company who built it."

"Why would he give this ship to you?" Mr. Briefs asked interested.

"During the final stages of the war, our forces had captured the PTO's shipyards. With no means of getting new ships, they kidnapped his daughter to blackmail him into giving them ships. The GF sent me to rescue her."

"Did you save her?" Bulma was also interested.

"I have this ship don't I?" Cilan asked rhetorically. She only rolled her eyes.

"This ship is actually a prototype of the infiltrator ships our unit used," Cilan added. "That's why it's lightly armored."

They moved on, passing through the galley, the recreational room, the gym, and infirmary. Cilan stopped before another set of doors to point out a staircases and ladders on the sides.

"Those lead to the cargo hold below," he said before stepping through the doors. "Come on, the next room is the important one."

Both scientists hurried after him. They were in a room the size of the briefing room, but one that was slightly darkened. The walls were lined with various displays and terminals, and in the middle stood one large rectangular terminal with a blank widescreen display above and a blue touchpad in front of it. Cilan was inputting commands on it.

"What room is this?" Bulma asked as she looked around.

"Computer core," he didn't look from the terminal.

"How powerful is the mainframe?" Mr. Briefs was taking a particular interest in the main terminal.

"I don't know exactly, but I remember being told it could perform a trillion calculations per femtosecond, or something like that." The display finally lit-up in red.

"Requesting voice authorization," the mechanical voice of the computer commanded.

"Lt. Commander Cilan. Passcode: Omega-Alpha-4-5-2-0-9-Bravo-Victor," Cilan replied monotonously.

The display turned green then, "Authorization recognized. Welcome back Lt. Commander Cilan, how may I help you today?"

"I need you to grant user access to these two people into the ships systems." Cilan looked over to Bulma, "You first."

She stood next to him and looked up at the display.

"State your name to the computer."

"Bulma Briefs."

"User access level?" The computer asked.

"Gold level," Cilan replied then looked over to Bulma. "Now put your palm on the touchpad."

Bulma did so, and the pad performed a scan of her hand.

"Finally, come up with a passcode."

She pondered for a few moments, and then came up with one. They did the same procedure for her father. The saiyan showed Mr. Briefs to a set of doors which led to engineering, where the propulsion system was housed, and the older scientist promptly left them to study the engine design.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bulma had her arms crossed as she caught Cilan leaving from where they entered.

"I'm going to go train," Cilan said over his shoulder.

"What about the rest of tour?"

"The computer can answer any questions you have."

She glared at him then, "You know what you're problem is Cilan?"

"I'm an emotionally stunted war junkie with abandonment issues?" Cilan regurgitated everything ever told to him by psychologists in the GF.

Bulma stood stunned, "Uh… yeah. I mean if you know what's wrong…"

"Don't worry," he waved her off. "I'll be fine."

"You should really pick up a hobby. Or get a girlfriend," she looked at him worriedly.

"Yeah, like that'll help," were his last words to her as he left the room. Bulma just shook her head as the doors closed behind him, before she turned her attention back to the computer.

* * *

Cilan was in the gravity chamber training his body at 200 times gravity. He was never properly trained on higher gravity so the first few days were trying for him, as he was getting used to 100 times gravity in his base form. It dawned on him how outclassed he was compared to the other adult Saiyans. He wasn't dismayed however; it just made him more determined to train harder.

The gravity chamber was lit in red as he practiced dodging energy blasts from the training bots Mr. Briefs had built for him. Their purpose was to redirect any ki attack back onto the originator. To the elder scientist relief, Cilan didn't over-tax them causing them to break.

Like Vegeta before him, he was using them to test his reaction time under heavier gravity. Cilan was close to mastering 200G, a few more days and he could increase it to 250G. He figured that at his current rate he should have 500G in a matter of weeks.

'If I went super, I could do this easily,' were his thoughts as the blast almost grazed his chest. He had made it a point to hold off on training in his super state. Goku and Vegeta mastered higher levels of gravity before going super, so he felt that he should max his base form first.

The ki blast flew off into the walls of the ship and fizzled out.

"Defense position Delta," announced one of the 9 round bots as they re-oriented themselves around the saiyan. Cilan looked up and fired a ki sphere at one of them. It was deflected to another bot and on it went as the sphere was used to attack him. He managed to dodge it, but the bots kept changing directions to unpredictable patterns and increasing the sphere's speed. It took him some effort as his mind was concentrating on the ball and using his ki to stay afloat in the higher gravity.

As his mind concentrated on the sphere, another part of his mind was going back to the conversation he had with Bulma hours earlier. What he had told her was correct, but he had an explanation for it. The emotional stunting was normal, as he was raised as a typical saiyan, which meant to not show emotions. Being a war junkie was just from his natural saiyan bloodlust for battle. As for the abandonment issues, well he hadn't come up with a suitable reason for that yet.

'Whatever,' he thought as he shook his head. 'I'm better off alone anyway.'

That momentary distraction cost him as the ki ball grazed his right shoulder, and made him lose his concentration, causing him to drop to the floor. The bots pressed on the attack then as it launched the ball in different directions above him. He ignored the pain in his shoulder as he tried to focus again on the sphere. As the ki ball was coming at him faster than before, he jumped and dodged wildly as he fought with the higher gravity. When he landed on his knees he looked up to see the ki sphere was closing in on his face, faster than he anticipated.

"Fuck," he muttered as he immediately raised his hands in front of him. However, instead of trying to cancel out the sphere with another ki blast, he focused his telekinetic powers and forced the ki to a halt.

"Outside force detected! Outside force detected!" alerted the main bot as the ki sphere dissipated. Cilan shook his head as he chided himself for losing his concentration. He looked at his shoulder; the shirt he wore had a scorch mark where he was hit. The shoulder had a stinging sensation, but he could still move it fine, and the pain was slowly ebbing. He closed his eyes and compartmentalized his thoughts; focusing only on the training. Once that was done he looked back up to the bots and fired another ki blast and resumed his exercise.

Several hours later Cilan sat against the ships console as the gravity was set to normal. The training bots were lined up against the wall of the ship deactivated. He was looking at his hands; they were calloused and red from the ki blasts he had been deflecting. So far he had been training in the gravity chamber for a week and a half and his strength should have increased, but he needed to test it out.

Cilan hadn't sparred with anyone since his match with Goku months ago. He thought of trying for a re-match, but the older saiyan would still outclass him; the same went for Gohan and Vegeta. Cilan classified them as the top tier in strength. Goten and Trunks were powerful, but still too inexperienced. Piccolo was also beyond him in strength. The human fighters were retired except for Tien, but Cilan wasn't sure if it would be a fair fight.

It was then he looked at the training bots, his mind conjured up an idea.

'Machines,' was his first thought. 'Calculating, emotionless, and persistent; the perfect training partner…. Or the deadliest enemy.'

With a decision made then, he stood up from the floor and went to wash up.

* * *

_September 24__th__, Age 776_

The vast blue ocean raced below Cilan as he flew towards the small island chain in the southern seas, the sun was still in the eastern horizon on its way to the top for midday. He was wearing a gray short sleeve shirt and black jeans. He had mastered 200G yesterday, but before moving onto 250G he decided to test his strength on a good challenger; one who happened to have lived in the South Seas. When he spotted a small island containing a pink house with the words 'Kame House' scrawled in red letters, he landed on it.

The beach was empty except for Unigame the sea turtle, who waved at him. Avoiding toys that were scattered in the sand he walked up to the screen door and heard the noise of a television program from an open window. Rapping on the door a few times he heard Roshi's voice telling him the door was open. As he stepped through he found the old man and Oolong sitting in front of the television.

"Morning Cilan," greeted both perverts. "Pull up a chair."

Deciding to stand off to the side, Cilan got a better look at the television screen, "What are you two watching?"

"Wide-Thigh Aerobics," answered Oolong.

"It's to help me come up with a new martial arts technique," Roshu piped up, as he watched a blonde woman bent over to touch her toes and her rear end was presented to the camera.

"Uh-huh. You know that's a load of bullshit, right?"

"Yep," answered both perverts. The saiyan just shook his head and stood against a wall with his arms crossed. When the program went to commercial Master Roshi finally looked in Cilans direction, "What brings you by today?"

"I'm looking for Android 18."

"She's upstairs," The Turtle Hermit looked to the stairway. "Hey 18! You have a guest!"

There wasn't a response, but footsteps were heard from above.

"By the way Cilan, Candy said she misses you at the strip club."

"I bet. What about her number I gave you?"

"Oh she hung up when she found out I called; even changed it."

"Not surprising," Cilan then glanced around the living room. "Where's Krillin?"

"He went to the mainland with his daughter to pick up groceries," replied the pig. "Speaking of Candy why don't you come with us back to the strip club? She even has a friend named Bambi."

"Of course she does," Cilan shook his head then. "Last thing I need now is more distractions in my life."

Before Oolong could retort, a cold feminine voice cut in, "What are you doing here?"

Android 18 stood at the foot of the stairs with her arms crossed. She wore her normal attire, a black shirt with black and white stripped long sleeves, blue jeans, and black shoes. Her pale blue eyes regarded the Saiyan indifferently. When she first met him, she considered him to be an ordinary saiyan, with no remarkable features to set him apart.

Cilan turned to her with his arms crossed as well, "I'm looking for a sparring match."

She quirked an eyebrow then, "Why? Don't you saiyans usually beat the crap out of each other?"

Suppressing a smile, "Normally yes, but most of the other saiyans on this planet can easily kick my ass. So I'm looking for a spar with someone on my level."

"And that would be me?"

"Yes, if I remember correctly you kicked Vegeta's ass after he became a Super Saiyan."

"That's right," 18 smiled then, remembering that victory over the arrogant saiyan prince. She then frowned, "That still doesn't mean I'll fight you. What's in it for me?"

Cilan expected this, "I can pay you."

"How much?" Her interest was piqued, even though she had money that she managed to blackmail from Mr. Satan, she still wouldn't turn down easy money.

"500 Zeni."

18 shook her head, "5,000"

"1,000"

"4,000"

"2,000"

"3,000"

"Deal," Cilan nodded, he had remembered how his mother used to haggle.

18 held her hand out to Cilan, as he fished out a wad of Zeni bills from his pocket, and then tossed them to the android.

"We'll be sparring here?" 18 asked as she counted the notes.

"I'd rather not, could damage the house," he turned from her and made his way to the door. "I saw an island on the way here, about a mile out. It looked uninhabited."

The cyborg followed along and took off after him on their way to the island. After they landed and faced each other, Cilan switched to his combat suit causing 18 to give him a curious look. "What's that?"

"Combat suit."

She made a face, "It looks ugly."

"Good," he smiled behind the mask.

She shook her head and crossed her arms, "Get rid of the mask and the weapons. I don't have anything protecting my face, so you shouldn't either."

Thinking it over, he found she had a point. So he removed the mask, and unbuckled the belt that held his beam sword.

"The vest too," she added.

Grunting in annoyance, he unzipped the vest and put it the pile with the other items, and he also removed the forearm computer. Wearing nothing but his jumpsuit and combat boots, he pulled back the balaclava exposing his head to the sunshine. They took their fighting stances.

Cilan smirked, "Ladies first."

Returning the smirk, 18 disappeared and appeared before him with her right fist drawn back to deliver a punch to his face. When her fist flew, he was able to dodge it by a fraction, and tried responding with a right hook, but hit nothing but air.

18 launched a series of punches and kicks at the saiyan. He was able to dodge and block most of them, but the ones he couldn't stunned him. He was trying to find an opening to begin a counterattack but the android was too fast for him. This went on for minutes until they jumped away from each other.

With a smirk on her face, 18 tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So when are you going to put up a fight?"

Cilan grinned, then powered up to his Super Saiyan form; he took off and started his assault. This time they both seemed equally matched, though Cilan knew she was still stronger. He couldn't sense her ki, but he was testing out his telekinetic powers in a new way. He was projecting his thought s out like a sonar and picking up where the android's location was at. His range was limited to only make it useful for close quarters but was enough to stop a surprise attack on him.

Android 18 was expecting this fight to replay like her fight with Vegeta, but was surprised that Cilan didn't show the same arrogance like the prince. Instead he was silent in his attacks, and his strikes were almost as precise as hers. Her files on fighting techniques Dr. Gero had implanted, told her that Cilan's fighting style was similar to Muay Thai.

The saiyan flew at 18 with his right fist drawn, mimicking the androids earlier attack. 18 drew her right leg back, and calculated his speed. Right when he was about to let his fist fly, 18 launched a right knee into his gut; the same attack she used to put down Vegeta. Her knee impacted, but not to his stomach. To her surprise, Cilan managed to shift his body so that his right hip would take the brunt of the attack.

She didn't have time to react when Cilan's right elbow slammed into her face, and was flung away. 18 stopped herself and ran a hand along her right cheek, it stung. She looked up at CIlan, and saw he was facing her, in his fighting stance, his face expressionless and waiting for her to attack again. With a snarl she powered up and rocketed at him ready to kick him, to break his arm like she had done to Vegeta.

Before she could land it, Cilan was able to raise his right knee up so that the knee cap could block the kick. He then grabbed her leg and tossed her away. After landing on the ground she jumped back up and scowled at him, "You're really starting to piss me off."

CIlan smiled, "Funny, I didn't think machines felt emotions."

"I'm not a machine!" She was ready to attack again, until something clicked in her mind. "I see what you're doing now. You're getting me angry so I can't think clearly."

"I don't know what you're talking about," his face expressionless betraying nothing.

Smirking again, she powered up one more time and began another assault. This time she changed her tactics slightly, so far she kept treating him as if he was Vegeta; instead Cilan was more cunning.

With her power increased she was able to overwhelm him at points, though Cilan still managed to fight her off and find openings in her defense. They exchanged various punches and kicks to each other, lasting for several minutes. Before they broke off and resumed once again.

18 had delivered a right-handed uppercut to his chin; Cilan rode through the pain and grabbed her shoulders to deliver a series of left knee strike to her solar plexus. She managed to break out of his hold and push him back. Though, instead of getting angry again, she only smirked, before she flew at him again.

Nearly an hour into the match, 18 began to gain the upper hand again. With her limitless supply of ki, she didn't get tired and could go on. Cilan meanwhile was steadily expending ki in his super state, and knew he would eventually lose if this continued any longer. This was close to happening when 18 managed to land a left jab onto his face, then followed it up with a right cross punch.

He was momentarily stunned, but was able to throw his arms up to protect his face from the onslaught of punches she was throwing at him. Cilan managed to throw a high roundhouse right kick that connected to the left side of her head. 18 staggered back from him while she got her bearings.

"Why aren't you using any ki attacks?" 18 asked as her vision was slightly blurry.

"And wear myself out faster?" Cilan retorted after a heavy breath at one of the two versions of 18 he was seeing, and then shook his head to make the double vision go away.

"Clever one, aren't you?" She tucked a strand of hair again behind her ear and prepared for another attack. Before doing so a third person showed up to interrupt them.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Krillin landed on the sandy beach wearing his red shirt and brown khaki's. Truthfully, he knew what they were doing, as Roshi had told him where his wife ran off to. He had been watching the fight between the two for the last few minutes; it was rare when 18 fought. Krillin decided to step in when he saw Cilan stagger from the last strike.

18 looked over at Krillin, "Ask Cilan, he wanted a fight with me." She dropped her fighting stance, "Where's Marron?"

"I left her with Master Roshi to watch her," Krillin scratched the back of his head.

She turned to the saiyan, "Wanna call it a draw? " 18 wanted to go back home to be with her daughter.

Cilan considered it; on the one hand his prideful side wanted to fight to the bitter end. The practical side pointed out that the bitter end will be in defeat, and a draw is better than losing. With that in mind, he nodded in agreement then powered down and turned to the pile where he left his gear.

After 18 left for home, Krillin decided to hang back to talk with Cilan. "So that's the suit Bulma made for you?"

"Yes," Cilan replied curtly as he zipped up his vest, and then picking up the beam sword belt.

"I thought it would look more like the armor Vegeta wore."

The saiyan strapped his computer back on his arm and then placed the mask on his face before he regarded Krillin, "Wouldn't be caught dead wearing that."

Krillin gulped before chuckling nervously, the inhumanity of the mask gave him shivers. "Can't blame you… That spandex leaves a lot to be desired." He remembered when he wore something similar on planet Namek.

Cilan nodded before he touched the button on his watch to store his suit, and reverting back to his civilian clothes. Krillin couldn't decide which was scarier, Cilan's mask or his normal glowering face.

The saiyan turned from him and was about to take off when Krillin stopped him, "Want to hang out at Master Roshi's house?"

"I'm pretty busy this afternoon," in truth Cilan was planning on heading back home to go over today's fight and drink, in either order.

"Come on, I can order some take out."

"Well…" it was close to lunch time.

"I even brought a couple of cases of beer," Krillin hedged this would entice him.

"If you insist," Cilan proved the monk right.

* * *

After a case of beer and a family sized portion of Teriyaki beef and sticky rice, Cilan sat on the couch of Master Roshi's living room having a mostly one-sided conversation with Krillin.

"How are you liking Earth so far?"

"Foods and drinks are good," he uncapped his seventh beer, "Though the place is too quiet for my liking."

"Yeah, it's been peaceful since Majin Buu, but for you Saiyan's it must get you antsy when you're not fighting." Krillin took a sip of his tea as he remembered the two days Majin Buu terrorized them. "You wouldn't believe those crazy days with Majin Buu."

"So I've been told, but if I was here for that, he would have killed me easily."

"Yeah," Krillin decided to change the subject, "Speaking of fighting, where did you learn how to fight? I was watching your fight with 18 and you weren't half-bad."

"My mother trained me until I was 10," he paused as he took a sip from the bottle, "Then the military, and a couple of bar fights showed me the rest."

"That right?" Krillin remembered to tip-toe around the subject of Cilan's mother, as it was still a sore subject.

"You should train under me Cilan," Master Roshi cut-in as he was still watching his all day marathon of the aerobics show. "I can make you into a real fighter, and a ladies' man."

Cilan and Krillin both rolled their eyes at the turtle master.

"Hey, Krillin. How exactly did you and 18 get together?" Cilan had wondered that since meeting them months ago. "I know she was your enemy at one point, and what happened after your first fight, but I never heard about afterwards when Cell was defeated."

"Oh, well," Krillin scratched the side of his face before he told the saiyan about the wish he used from the Dragonballs to try and make 18 human, then used the wish to instead remove the bomb from within her. He then recounted how after she ran off from Kami's Lookout, she showed up on the island months afterwards to seek him out. They formed a friendship that developed into a romance, which gave birth to their daughter four years afterwards.

18 would have chimed in, but she was busy as she sat opposite of them fixing the pony tails on Marron. She had also been glancing curiously at Cilan at certain points; something about him was puzzling her. When they were fighting she noted that she couldn't get a sneak attack on him unless she was extremely close to him. It had seemed he could sense where she was going to attack from, but that should have been impossible because she had no detectable ki. She made him remove his mask so he couldn't have tracked her with it, so he must have found another way to do so. 18 had decided to speak to her husband about it later after Cilan left.

"About the time Marron was conceived we decided to get married and we've been together ever since," Krillin finished their story.

"That's interesting," Cilan said after a pause.

"What?" the former monk looked surprised. "That's it? Usually people give me crap about her being too good for me, or that I nearly destroyed the planet because of my crush."

The saiyan shrugged, "Don't they say love is blind?"

"Yeah."

"And stupid?"

"Hey!" Krillin frowned while Master Roshi and Oolong laughed from their chairs in front of the tv.

Krillin grumbled at being made the punch line of another joke. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Cilan finished his beer and was reaching for another.

"Don't you have anyone?"

"No."

"Why not? You could easily get a girlfriend."

"Funny," replied the saiyan as he uncapped the bottle.

"What is?" Krillin wasn't sure where that response came from.

"Bulma told me the same thing a few days ago," Cilan looked at him with narrowed eyes. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you two have scheming about me."

"No, no. Nothing like that, just a coincidence," Krillin laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

'Have to be careful with this one, he's not stupid like Goku, or naïve like Gohan,' Krillin thought to himself. "But seriously Cilan, why not?"

Cilan stared into the beer bottle for a long moment before he spoke, "Never had time for it in the military." There was another reason, but he swore himself to never speak of it.

"Yeah, I can see that, but you're retired now."

"True," Cilan took a swig from the bottle. "But I don't see the point."

"The point? Why would you need a point to be in a relationship?" Krillin couldn't comprehend what he was hearing. Cilan only shrugged in response.

"Don't you ever feel lonely?"

"No," the saiyan replied quickly. "Besides, being in a relationship would distract me from my training."

"No it wouldn't," Krillin shot back. "Why are you training so hard anyway? There's no enemy to fight anymore."

"Just because things have been peaceful for a short period doesn't mean there might not be a future enemy to fight."

"Maybe," the time after Cell was defeated was peaceful until Babidi and Majin Buu showed up. "But that still doesn't mean you can't have a relationship."

Cilan shook his head, dismissing Krillin's point. He then glanced at his watch, "It's running late, I should be going."

After one long gulp that drained the bottle, Cilan set it aside and stood up. "Thanks for the food and beer, I'll pay you back next time."

"Think nothing of it," Krillin waved him off. "You're welcome here anytime."

The saiyan nodded and bid his farewell to the others as he walked to the front door, but not before turning back to them. "Hey 18."

The android looked up at him, "Yes?"

"Another match next week, same time?"

She thought of it for a moment before nodding, "Sure. Same amount of money too."

"Sure," he smirked before he turned and left.

Krillin watched him leave with a frown; he hoped Cilan was wrong about their being another enemy to fight.

* * *

_October 2__nd__. Age 776_

Autumn in the desert usually meant that the days didn't get as searing as normal, and the nights dropped to colder levels. Not far from where Cilan originally landed on the planet months ago, he was standing on a lonely mesa, training. He had been training at 250G for the past week, and saw some improvement, though when he sparred with 18 the day before, the results were nearly the same as before.

The saiyan decided to train out in the desert to break the monotony of his daily routine. It also would give him the opportunity to exercise his telekinetic powers away from everyone else. He arrived in the area since early in the morning and trained nearly the entire day. He used the last remaining hours of daylight to work on his mental powers. Cilan wanted to see how powerful they were; when he was young he could move large boulders, and right before he was picked up by the GF he could move small ships.

During his time in the military he had few opportunities to test out how far his powers progressed, as he didn't want to tip off his superiors about his hidden abilities. Though, now that he was free from all that duty and his newfound solitude gave him the time to expand on it. What he'd seen so far showed promise, as he was levitating a dozen large boulders around him; each one the size of a minivan..

He was in his combat suit standing perfectly still as his eyes were closed and his hands arms were stretched out with palms forward as he concentrated on the rocks around him. They were moving around him slowly, until one moved at him in a frightening speed. In a split second he drew his beam sword and cut through it, the two new pieces landed behind him.

Another boulder moved at him, but instead of cutting it, Cilan punched it and shattered it into pieces. The other rocks followed suit and were subsequently turned into pebbles. After this was done, he removed the mask to survey the aftermath in natural lighting, and to wipe his brow.

His watch told him it was a quarter past 3, so he had two more hours of daylight to continue. He was debating with himself on coming back here again tomorrow, as there was supposed to be a heavy sandstorm blowing through the area according to the weather service. Training through it would show if he and his suit were all-weather capable.

"Not a bad demonstration," the gruff voice of Piccolo called out.

Cilan looked up surprised at the namekian who was floating in the air above him, with his cape billowing in the desert wind. Before he could respond, another voice, an arrogant one spoke.

"I agree, it isn't everyday you see a saiyan using telekinetic powers," Vegeta landed on the mesa in his battle armor.

"Hey Cilan!" Goku was also there, in his orange gi, with his normal cheerful disposition.

"How long have you guys been out here?" Cilan had recovered over his initial shock, but was now worried as he was essentially surrounded by the three most powerful warriors in the universe. His grip tightened on the hilt of his beam sword, ready to activate at a moment's notice.

"Long enough," Piccolo landed off to the side. "It was easy as we dropped our power levels and you were too focused to notice our arrival."

"We're not here for a fight," Goku noted the tension on Cilan's face. "We just want to know why you've been hiding your powers."

Cilan let out a breath, "How long have you known?"

"I suspected something after you landed," Piccolo spoke up. "When I meditated, I sensed your powers, I have telekinetic powers myself. So I can detect them the same way you'd sense ki. I decided to watch you, and confirmed my suspicions on the night you broke into Peach Computers."

After a single nod to the namekian, Cilan turned to Vegeta.

"Dr. Briefs mentioned that the logs from the training bots kept detecting an outside force. Bulma analyzed the records and found they were from your brainwaves," Vegeta explained.

Another nod, then he turned to Goku.

"Krillin told me that 18 was suspicious that you kept anticipating her attacks, as if you could detect her. I told Piccolo about it, and he told me about your powers." Goku answered.

Cilan nodded a final time before deciding to holster the beam sword. "Yes, I have telekinetic powers."

"How long have you had them?" Vegeta cut in.

"Since I was born."

"Did your mother have the same powers?" Goku asked.

"No, she had telepathic powers."

Piccolo and Vegeta were stunned by this revelation, while Goku was confused. "What's a telepath?"

Cilan raised an eyebrow then, "A person who can read minds."

"I can do that by placing my hand on anyone's forehead," the older saiyan replied.

"Ok, but she could do so without having to physically touch the person. She was born with that ability."

"How powerful was she?" Piccolo finally spoke.

"I never got an idea, as she only used it in fights or when we were in negotiations."

"Is that why she was sent away?" Vegeta had a hunch.

Cilan nodded, "Yes, King Vegeta didn't want her under Freeza's rule."

The prince remained silent but was satisfied that his father had a reason on sending Cinna away. The next few minutes were filled with other questions, concerning his mother. Cilan answered what he could, but he still left out the details about her encounter with Broly and Paragus.

"What about your powers?" The namekian asked. "What's your limit?"

"I don't know," Cilan scratched the back of his head. "I was able to move ships before I was drafted into military service. I haven't been able to test it further until now."

"If you're looking to expand those powers of yours, I can train you. You can find me at the lookout," with that Piccolo took off. Vegeta just grunted and flew off, presumably back to Capsule Corp.

Goku hadn't left yet. "Hey Cilan, come by my place for some sparring matches. I know you feel you're no match for us, but you'll be surprised what you can do with enough determination." He placed two fingers on his forehead and disappeared.

Alone on the mesa again, Cilan let out a weary sigh and placed his mask back on. "That went better than expected," he muttered to himself before going back to his training.

* * *

_October 17__th__, Age 776_

West City was quiet in the early mornings, especially on a Sunday. It was almost 7, and Cilan flew silently over the city as he made his way to Capsule Corp. Since revealing his powers to the others, his life had settled into a routine. Training nearly every day, on the days he wasn't doing his guard duties. He also continued his sparring matches with 18 every week, and sparred with Goku every other week.

As expected, he fared evenly with 18, but still lost to Goku, though losing to him did show Cilan where to improve. He hadn't yet sought out training from Piccolo, as he wanted to further explore his powers on his own. His days were busy, but he preferred to be busy as it kept his mind occupied.

He touched down at Capsule Corp. front lawn, and was deciding if he should enter the building, or head straight to the gravity chamber. It was his birthday today, and he wanted to do nothing more than to just spend it like any other day. Though he feared Bulma would use the day as an excuse for some celebration at his expense.

Debating in the cold morning air, he shuttered slightly beneath his dark blue denim jacket, one that covered his dark gray button shirt, and black jeans. He could head inside and go for breakfast, or ignore his appetite and train the entire day and avoid the Briefs like the plague. Pride won out, and Cilan made his way to the gravity chamber.

As he walked to the ship, he was surprised to find someone waiting by the ship. He was less than pleased to find Bunny waving at him.

"Morning Cilan!" Bunny fluttered her eyelashes.

"Morning Bunny," Cilan grumbled.

"How's the birthday boy doing today?" Her tone was sickeningly sweet.

"Fine," he muttered.

She only giggled at his grumpiness, "I bet you wanted to avoid us today, huh?"

Cilan looked surprised at her perceptiveness, "How'd you know?"

"When you live with Vegeta for so many years, you can tell what you guys think. Don't worry; I talked Bulma out of throwing you a surprise party."

"Really?" He was surprised again. When she nodded in reply, he offered her a small smile, "Thanks."

Bunny beamed at him, then grabbed his hand and pulled him to the main building. "Just think of it as doing you a favor. Come on, you can thank me by coming in and having breakfast."

Cilan let himself be led by her, as he wondered how eating her food would thank her, but he shrugged as he wouldn't turn away a good thing.

"Be sure to come in for dinner too."

'Sure, but why?" Cilan had an eyebrow raised.

"I'm going to make you a special meal, you handsome soldier!" She looked back and giggled at his blushing face.

* * *

It was 5:30 in the afternoon when Cilan shut down the gravity machine. The room went from 300G back to Earth's normal gravity. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he made his way to the showers in the ship. Bunny usually had dinner ready by 6, so he had enough time for a hot shower and change back into his normal clothes.

As he stood under the shower head, letting the hot water relax his aching muscles, he went over his progress so far. Cilan figured he should be able to start at 350G by the end of the week. His reaction time was quicker each time he sparred with 18, but was nowhere near matching Goku. Though the older saiyan had recommended him that he should train in his super state, to achieve the full power super saiyan mode.

Cilan considered his advice, though it would be a major shift in he how treated his physical powers. He had always viewed and treated his super form as a last ditch weapon in combat, only to be brought out if his base form couldn't cut it. If he followed Goku's advice, he would have to stay in his super state for 24/7. He decided to he'd do that once he could master 500G in his base form.

After his shower and change of clothes, Cilan stepped out of the ship into the cool autumn air. He walked towards the main building with some hesitation, some part of him was thinking that Bunny lied and he was walking into an ambush. Not knowing if it was inherited or if it was from the life he had before his mother died, but Cilan always preferred to stay out of the spotlight. It was easier for him to stay in the shadows, flying under people's radar and do his work without much fanfare. When he was out in the field, in the heavier battles, he always tried to be quick and efficient in his missions.

Walking through the main lobby of Capsule Corp. and into the housing area, Cilan could only sense Vegeta and Trunks training in their own gravity chamber; and just the normal staff that worked in the building.

'So far, so good,' he thought to himself making his way to the kitchen. Once there, he found Bunny working at her stove and the smell of cooking food.

"Oh Cilan! I'm almost done; just take a seat at the table."

Doing as told, he sat and waited. The smell of the food was making his appetite rise, as he skipped lunch. He didn't wait long as Bunny began putting plates in front of him: An extra large bowl of pork ramen, a catering tray of Mongolian beef, with an equal tray of sticky rice, and a plate full of chicken gyoza.

Cilan's mouth watered at the food before him, and was ready to eat, but needed chopsticks.

"Would you like beer?" Bunny presented him with the wooden utensils and several napkins.

"Please," he took the offered items and began to dig into the soup, while a pitcher of beer was set to the side.

"You're so polite," Bunny giggled. A door chime was heard then. "Oh that must be my guest. There's someone I want you to meet."

Cilan only grunted, not really hearing what she said as she walked out of the kitchen. He was nearly done with the ramen when Bunny walked back in with someone else.

"Cilan, I want you meet my niece Kei."

Again the saiyan just grunted as he slurped the last of the soup. Setting the bowl aside he made a move for the serving tray full of the marinated beef, when he heard a gasp.

"It's you," exclaimed a feminine voice. Cilan looked up and noted Bunny's guest; she was a young woman that stood at around 5'9", had pale skin with some freckles on a heart shaped face, and long dark auburn hair. She was wearing a red blouse and blue jeans, which showed off an hourglass figure. Her most striking feature was her green eyes that Cilan thought he recognized, but his mind couldn't place where.

Bunny was confused by her niece's reaction, "Have you two met?"

Kei spoke while still looking at Cilan, as he still tried to remember her. "He was the one who rescued me in the park from that mugger months ago."

It clicked for him then, the jogger in the park.

"That was you Cilan?" Bunny asked surprised.

The saiyan just looked up and nodded before he began to eat the Mongolian beef.

"Well sit down Kei, and tell me again what happened that night!" Bunny motioned for her niece to conveniently sit next to Cilan. A moment later, Bulma walked in.

"Hey guys!" She placed a small box next to Cilan. "This is for you Cilan. Happy Birthday!"

He only grunted in response, causing Bulma to shake her head. She turned to the other two women, "What's up?"

"Cilan saved Kei's life!" her mother exclaimed.

"What? Really?" Bulma was surprised, and then she looked at Cilan. "How did that happen?"

"Kei was going to tell me," Bunny motioned for her daughter to sit and listen, then looked at her niece. "So tell us what happened."

"I was out for my nightly jog," she began to recount. "I turned into the park when someone grabbed me. I let out a scream before the mugger put a knife to my throat and shoved me against a tree asking for money."

She was acting out with her hands what had happened, "I was so scared that he would kill me, because I wasn't carrying any money. Just when I was about to scream again, I noticed him," Kei pointed at Cilan. "He stalked up to us quietly and when he was close enough he pulled the mugger off me and punched him in the face and knocked him out. I was still frightened when he told me to call for help.

"I looked away from him for a moment, and when I turned back, he was gone." She looked back at him then, "I didn't even get to thank him."

Cilan was only half-listening, when it went quiet. Setting down the tray, he saw himself being scrutinized by three sets of eyes. Kei's were grateful.

Bunny's were fluttering, "How brave!"

Bulma had a shit-eating grin on her face, "Who would have thought? You being a knight in shining armor," the saccharine in her voice nearly made him lose his appetite.

"I was just doing what anyone else would," he said nonchalantly.

"No, anybody else would have called for help or ignored her screams. You went out of your way to rescue her," Bulma argued back.

"Whatever," he muttered as he reached for the pitcher of beer and took a needed drink from it. Bulma just smiled triumphantly as she was proven right again.

After setting down the near empty pitcher, a soft hand placed itself on his arm. His eyes traveled from the hand to the smiling face of Kei, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I want to thank you for saving me," she traced her index finger on his arm, noting its firmness.

"Don't mention it," Cilan faintly noted how soft her hand was. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "Did you take my advice?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I only jog in the day, and I'm also carrying pepper spray."

He gave her a curt nod before picking up the tray again. Kei watched him in rapt fascination as he ate, "Are you one of those Saiyan people?"

Cilan stopped eating and gulped his food, "How do you know about them?"

"I've visited here before, and I've seen how Vegeta and Trunks eat and how they're able fly. Curiosity got the better of me, and asked my aunt."

He thought it over and nodded, "I'm a Saiyan."

"Wow, so you're from space?" Her face lit up in wonderment. As she peppered him with questions, Bunny looked at them and was ecstatic that her plan was going better than expected. Bulma wasn't aware of the matchmaking plans her mother hatched up, but she had the same thoughts.

"So Kei," Bulma interrupted the two. "What happened to the mugger?"

"The police arrested him, and he's been in jail ever since. They said he was wanted for other muggings in that park," Kei replied.

"Do you need protection? Cilan is my body guard, but he could give you protection if you need it," the scientist asked before she nibbled on a gyoza she had managed to steal from the plate.

"No, I'm fine." The redhead shook her head.

"Oh but Kei, you live in such a dangerous place. I don't know what I'll do if something happened to you," Bunny exaggerating the dangers slightly.

"It's not that bad, besides, it's all I can afford right now with my college costs," Kei muttered.

"What college are you going to?" Cilan asked.

"I'm going to Percy University in the west side. I'm studying to be an engineer."

"Huh, I live near there."

Bulma's mind quickly come up with an idea, "I know what you can do Kei." She grinned, "You should move in with Cilan."

"Do what now?" Cilan sat up straight, not sure if he heard correctly.

"No, I couldn't" Kei tried to dismiss the idea. "I can't even afford to live there."

"Nonsense, Cilan has a spare room, and I could chip in your half of the rent." Bulma sent Cilan an evil grin. "And I don't think you'll mind boarding the cousin of your boss, right?"

Cilan was ready to reject the idea, but Bunny spoke up first, "Please Cilan, you'll be doing me a favor."

Realizing that he owed her, he'd been trapped. He slouched in his seat, defeated, "Fine, whatever."

Both older women smiled as they had won while Kei looked at Cilan regretfully. Bulma noticed his sullen look and pushed the box she left earlier towards him, "Here, I got this for you."

Cilan looked at the box, the slowly opened the top of it, and reached inside of it. He pulled out a small rectangular device; it was the phone Bulma showed him months ago. The saiyan looked up at Bulma with a questioning look.

"It's one of the first production units ready to be sold. Thanks to your help, these we'll be on sale next month for the holidays. "

After powering up the device and playing with for a moment; Cilan looked back up to her with a small smile, "Thanks Bulma."

"Don't mention it," she winked at him. "Now I can call you for anything at anytime!"

Cilan grimaced then and grumbled, "Gee, that's great."

* * *

Dinner passed by quickly, and Bunny surprised Cilan with a cake she had baked for him. After that, Bulma had none-too-gently suggested that he walk Kei home, which he did reluctantly. Her home was on the south side, and they walked there, mostly in silence.

Cilan was mentally fuming at how he got himself into this predicament. He was stronger than that dammed blue haired scientist, but he followed her orders without question. Maybe it might have been his strict military training that was the problem. He shook his head at that, it was more likely he felt an obligation to do their favors as they took him in.

Kei noticed his frown and offered him a smile, "I'm sorry about my aunt and cousin. You don't have to do anything. I'm fine where I live now."

His frown disappeared as he looked at her, "Don't apologize, it's not your fault. As for those two, I can't blame them; they're just worried about you."

"It's not that bad." She frowned, "I mean I haven't had any problems since the mugger. Though I do live around the corner of this strip club, and some of the guys that hang out there try and pick me up." Her face twisted in disgust," Especially these two perverts, this old man and a talking pig."

He grimaced then, "Does the old man carry a walking stick and wear sunglasses?"

"Yeah!" She threw him a questioning glance, "Do you know them?"

"Yeah," he rubbed his face in frustration. "The old man is Master Roshi, and the pig is Oolong. They're friends of your cousin."

"Oh," Kei looked slightly relieved; she had feared Cilan was just as much of a pervert like those two. Silence descended on them again as they walked. The redhead glanced at the saiyan again, "Can I ask you something?"

Cilan nodded.

"What were you doing in the park that night you rescued me?"

"I was walking home from a bar and needed to find a place to take off without being seen. I thought the park would have been empty."

"Hmm…" She had a pensive look on her face, "Which bar?"

"Pete's, it's a sports bar I usually go to."

"Wanna go? It's still early and I don't want to go home yet."

"Really?" Cilan looked at her as she nodded. He shrugged and led her in a new direction.

They arrived at the bar a half-hour later. Instead of sitting at his usual bar stool in the corner, the two sat in a booth. Cilan had ordered a scotch, while Kei ordered a cosmopolitan, as they waited for their drinks Cilan decided to use the time to find out more about her. He wanted an idea of just whom he was going to board, whether she was ditzy like Bunny, or smart but arrogant like Bulma.

Kei had revealed that she was two years younger than him, had a fascination for engineering since she was young. She also told him that she grew up moving from place to place as her father served in the Royal Army, and that she lost her mother to a brain aneurysm when she was 15.

"After she died, your dad took care of you?" Cilan asked somewhat detached.

She nodded, "You could say that, but it was more like we took care of each other. He'd retired years earlier after the Cell crisis, and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her." Tears formed in her eyes that threatened to fall, but she wiped those away quickly.

"Where is he now?" Cilan wanted to move on, as he felt uncomfortable when a woman cried around him.

"He's living in South City now," after a few calming breaths, she had dried her eyes. The waitress brought their order moments later. After taking a long sip from her cocktail, she regarded him coolly, "What about your family?"

The saiyan took a sip of his drink, debating internally if he should tell her the truth. "How much do you know about Saiyans?"

"My aunt and cousin told me that you were a race of warriors that's extinct because your planet was destroyed."

If she knew that much he felt she could know who he was. Except for the detail about his true father, he told her about his mother and why she was sent away. About how she died, and how he was put into military service.

"I'm so sorry," she put her hand on his.

He eyed her hand wearily, as he was reminded again how soft her hand was, "Don't apologize, wasn't your fault."

"I know, but it's just so sad. I at least had my father for me, but you were orphaned."

Cilan didn't respond but instead drained the tumbler and motioned for another drink. This went on for an hour, mostly with Kei talking about her college life and her studies; he had chosen to just listen to her. He found her to be smart like Bulma, but didn't have the arrogance, though she had her moments of flintiness like Bunny.

When it was near 10 o'clock, Kei had asked if they could leave as she had classes in the morning, and she didn't want to go to them with a hangover. As it was, she was beginning to feel the slight buzzed feeling of the alcohol.

The cool air hit them again as they walked the lonely streets. Not knowing how, they had subconsciously made their way back to the park, and didn't realize it until they were near the spot Kei was held up.

She looked at the tree from the concrete pathway, before she turned back to him, "It'll be two months tomorrow when you saved me."

Cilan looked at the tree himself, and nodded.

"Thanks again, I'll always owe you for that," she couldn't express enough the gratitude she had for him.

"Don't mention it," he replied gruffly before he walked ahead. Kei grinned and shook her head at his abrasiveness before she walked faster to catch up to him.

They arrived at her apartment fifteen minutes later. It was an older style brick building that had seen better days. The bricks were dark from mildew, and the foundation had some cracks in it. Cilan was not entirely impressed with it.

"So this is my home," Kei began as she fished for her keys from her purse. "It's not glamorous looking, but it's my home."

"Kei." Cilan began,"What Bulma and Bunny said earlier, about moving in."

She waved her hand, "I told you, you don't have to listen to them. I'm fine here, besides I don't want to burden you."

He rubbed the back of his head then "You wouldn't be a burden for me. I don't stay at my place except to sleep, so you'd have the place mostly to yourself."

"Are you sure? You seemed upset when Bulma ordered you to."

"That had more to do with her ordering me around, not about you."

Kei considered it, if she moved, it would put her closer to campus and she wouldn't have to deal with the perverts. She grinned at him, "Ok, if it's no problem for you, I can move in by next month."

Cilan nodded and was about to turn away, when she surprised him by hugging him and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks for all you're doing for me," she said before grinning as she saw his cheeks tinged with red.

"Don't mention it," he replied gruffly before he turned and walked away, wondering if he made the right decision. Kei smiled at his retreating form before she walked inside the apartment building.

* * *

Millions of light years away from Earth, a small chunk of ice was floating across the galaxy, its destination being the Earth. At its current rate it would still take at least half a year for it to reach the blue planet. Inside the ice, was a single saiyan space pod that was on a voyage to that planet for the last nine years, one that began in the southern galaxy.

The saiyan space pod would have reached Earth in a year under normal circumstances. However this particular pod was damaged slightly from a planetary explosion, which reduced its engine output. It also reduced its anti-frosting technology, which is why it was encapsulated in ice, but still stayed on the same course.

Inside the pod itself sat one lone occupant, who during the nine years of frozen slumber, had one recurring thought: 'Kakkarot'

To Be Continued.


	8. Flashbacks II

**Author's Note: I had to split this chapter up, so the next one will be the second part.**

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_May 23__rd__, Age 771_

The blue sun shined its light on the bombed out battlefield of the planet Gothos. The land was gray with destroyed buildings littering the landscape, and fires still smoldering for ages. The planet was one of the first advanced planets that fell to the PTO in the opening stages of the invasion. The native population were turned to slaves, put to work for the organization to build their equipment and weaponry, and were promptly exterminated after they were no longer useful.

Gothos became one of the many outposts for the PTO to resupply their main forces as they drove towards the center of the galaxy. In the last few years it had become one of the last major outposts for them when the GF began their counteroffensive. It was so heavily guarded that the GF determined that it could not be captured by their normal forces alone, and needed help of their clandestine groups.

The invasion began days earlier with the GF committing 5 divisions of troops. It had been successful so far as they had captured half the planet with minimal losses on their end. What helped them most was the decrease of Saibamen. With the data they acquired on Arkanos. Their scientists were able to create a toxin that targeted the saibamen's genetic code that killed within hours of inhaling it.

The toxin was used before the invasion, and its handiwork was shown when the troops found the bodies of the green vermin scattered on the planet. The PTO still had seeds left over however, and were able to grow more of them once the toxin had reduced itself in the atmosphere, though the numbers they fielded were not enough to turn the tide of battle.

In the former capital of Gothos, the headquarters of the PTO was under siege by the GF. They had managed to capture the spaceport the day before and cutoff the PTO means of escape. The troops were stationed on the outskirts waiting for their orders to move in. In the remains of what used to be a school, the bulky frame of Tavenport sat on a bench eating the contents of meal ration. He was now ranked as a Colonel, and was one of the officers leading the effort for the invasion.

His rifle was next to him and his helmet was removed as he was eating beef stew in the rare quiet of the battlefield. He only got to enjoy his hot meal before two soldiers came up to him. They both saluted and stood at attention before him. One had a rifle slung behind him; the other had no weapons on him.

"At ease soldiers," the colonel returned the salute.

"Sir, any word when we can launch the attack?" Asked the soldier with the rifle, his name patch read 'Ramirez'.

"Command hasn't authorized us yet, Major," Tavenport set down the ration pouch and fork.

"We're wasting time waiting around, we should move in and strike while we still have the initiative," responded the other, whose name was Stevens. He was a human fighter, one of the two who replaced Cilan.

"I know you're eager for a fight Specialist, but we won't move in until the higher level enemy fighters are neutralized."

"Let me go then, I can kill them!"

Tavenport chuckled, "They'll kill you faster than you can kill a saibaman. No, we won't go in until the Ghosts are done."

Stevens crossed his, "Why do they get all good missions? They're not even all that powerful!"

"Is that so?" Spoke an amused voice behind them. Behind them was a tall green fighter dressed in a black jumpsuit, a black helmet, and a black combat vest. He stood at 6'3"; had square ears, red eyes with black pupils, and his face had no nose. He had three patches on him, one was the patch of the GFSF, the other was the Ghost Recon patch, and the last patch contained his rank and name: Commander Armun

He was a Carian, and was also the great grandson of the legendary fighter Pikkon. He was one of the few fighters that managed to survive the initial stages of the war.

"Sir!" The two soldiers saluted once they saw his rank, Stevens brow was beading with a few drops of sweat. The Colonel just chuckled as he saluted Armun, "What brings you here Commander?"

Armun returned the salute, "Just to inform you sir that your forces should be ready to move in a few hours."

"Good, so will it be just you leading the attack?"

Before he could respond, a female voice interrupted, "For his sake I hope not."

From behind Armun stepped out another person into the room; she was dressed similarly like him, but was quite shorter, at around 5'8". She looked human with dark brown skin, blue eyes, and an angular face. The name tag on her read: Lt. Commander Milla

"I don't think the good commander can handle all of them by himself," she removed her helmet, revealing pointy ears and dirty blonde hair that was done up in a bun. Milla gave a salute to the Colonel with a smile that reached her eyes.

Tavenport returned their salute before he reached for his helmet, "Don't you guys usually work in 3's?"

"We do, but our third man is probably off somewhere stuffing his face," Armun answered bluntly.

"I was scouting the area before the attack, Commander," replied a gruff voice, but adding sarcasm to the last word. Stepping into the room from another doorway walked in the third member of Ghost Recon. He was dressed in the same clothes as the other two, but wearing a black balaclava, and darkened goggles. His name tag read: Lieutenant Cilan.

He saluted the Colonel, who had a smile on his face once he saw the tag. "Kid, is that you? You've gotten bigger. Last time I saw you, you were still a scrawny kid."

Cilan nodded before he pointed to the unattended ration pouch, "You gonna finish that?"

Tavenport just laughed before handing the pouch to him, "Same as always, just a walking garbage disposal."

The saiyan pulled down the balaclava and began to eat, while Armun looked at him in disgust. Milla just shook her head at his rudeness. Ramirez and Stevens looked at him with unease; they never met him, but heard stories from the other soldiers that did serve with him. For Stevens, it had added pressure for him to fill in the role Cilan left behind.

There were also other stories that spread from Cilan's time in Ghost Recon, some true, others outlandish that added to his infamy among allies and enemies. As it was, the enemy had a nickname for him, 'Grim Reaper'.

"What did you see Lieutenant?" Armun asked with his arms crossed.

"There's a team of higher powered fighters moving to the north, looks like they might make a break for the space port," he replied after scarfing down the last of the stew. "There's still a concentration of higher ki levels in their headquarters."

The Commander mulled over the new information before he turned to the Colonel, "Sir, we'll go in now. Tell the ground forces to move in after we eliminate the hostiles."

Tavenport nodded as he strapped his helmet back on, then turned to the two soldiers, "Ramirez, Stevens, get the men ready."

"Sir!" both men saluted before they left with their orders. The Colonel slung his rifle and followed them after he saluted the Ghosts. Armun looked at the other two, "All right, let's stop wasting time and go."

Milla had her helmet back on and nodded. Cilan tossed the empty ration pouch away and let out a burp. That only drew a glare from the green fighter, before he turned and left. The others followed him out.

The three flew low to the ground as they made their way to the north of the city. This was abnormal to their standard operating procedure, which was to attack at night as stealthy as possible. The troop movements necessitated a change in tactics.

"CIlan, why are you still wearing the ski mask and goggles?" Armun asked over their radio on a private channel. "This is a day time operation."

Before the saiyan could answer Milla cut in, "The Grim Reaper has a reputation to maintain. Then again, he could scare anybody with his real face."

Cilan ignored the taunt, "You two better go on north while I head to their headquarters."

"We work as a team Lieutenant. Why would you want to split off?" Armus asked annoyed.

"One of the fighters at their HQ has a combat power over 1 million," replied the saiyan unperturbed.

"What!" The other two shouted over the radio.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" The Commander demanded.

"Didn't want to scare the others," again Cilan replied calmly.

"Why haven't our scanners picked him up?" Lt. Commander asked this time.

"Not sure, I think he's lowering his power like we can. I could sense his repressed power. Try it yourselves."

Armun and Milla closed their eyes and concentrated on the center of the city, and found who Cilan spoke of. They opened their eyes with stunned expressions.

Milla was the first to speak, "He's right! Whoever that is, they're tremendously powerful."

Armun debated it but could only come to one conclusion, "Are you sure you can handle him Lieutenant?"

"Affirmative."

"Ok, we'll go with your plan. What's the strength on the ones in the north?"

"One of them is around 200,000, being backed up by two others with 75,000 a piece."

Armun nodded, "All right, when we defeat those guys, we'll provide back up if you need it, understand?"

"Roger," Cilan nodded before he broke off from the formation.

"Cilan," Milla's concern was evident in her tone, "Be careful."

"I should be telling you that," he retorted in reply.

* * *

The headquarters of the PTO on Gothos was built on the remains of their capital building. The architecture of it was reminiscent of the other outposts the organization employed, small domes surrounding taller buildings, in a white and pink color scheme. It was being guarded by a dozen soldiers, most of them humanoid and Litts, the small bird warrior race.

Cilan watched them from the roof of one of the last standing buildings that overlooked the compound. His scanner indicated that his main target was inside and also guarded by a few other sentries. He would have preferred to blast the building away, but he'd been given orders to minimize damage to it, as the GF wanted to gather information from the enemy's computers.

With his power level suppressed their scouters hadn't picked him up yet. He sensed that the other two were close to confronting the northern squad, so he'd attack now and help back them up once he was done. Cilan unholstered his beam sword and held it in his right hand, while he extended his left hand with two fingers pointed at one of the guards. Lining up the guards body with the tip of his thumb, he fired off a single blast.

The unwitting guard dropped wordlessly as the blast tore through his chest, killing him instantly. Moments after he fell, he was surrounded by the other guards a few inspecting the body, others with their arm cannons pointing in different directions. One of the guards was looking towards the west at the building that Cilan stood on. The next moment he saw the roof of the building erupt in a flame of white ki, and his scouter lit up in information.

He fired off shots at the roof, with the other guards doing the same when their scouters also lit up. Before the beams hit, the flame disappeared. A split second later Cilan stood before them, with his beam sword drawn. The guards stood stunned, their scouters fluctuating wildly, some began to step back slowly as they recognized who it was.

"It's him!"

"Fire!" One guard shouted before his chest was impaled by the beam sword. Another guard tried shooting at him, before a beam blast entered one of his eye sockets. The other guards met the same fate. Only one stood firing wildly trying to run away from Cilan.

"We're under attack! It's the Grim…" His voice was cut-off as his head was decapitated. Cilan re-holstered the beam sword and didn't pay the corpses a second glance as he strode to the entrance.

Walking down the corridor, all he found were empty halls, and red lights flashing accompanied with a klaxon sound. The HUD on his goggles displayed where the hidden cameras were located.

'Being watched,' he thought to himself. 'Probably by all the small fry.'

He sensed that the remaining guards were in the center, surrounding the main fighter. The earpiece in his balaclava was transmitting frantic enemy chatter.

"He's going to kill us all!"

"Is anyone going to stop him!"

Cilan suppressed a chuckle as he walked down the narrow hallway towards a set of steel double doors. He stood before them for a moment then delivered a punch powerful enough to knock them away. Inside the circular room was a bank of computer terminals along with 10 PTO soldiers surrounding a single person sitting in a chair. The troops stood with their arm cannons pointing at Cilan, some of them had shaky hands from fear.

'Can't battle them all here, might destroy the machines,' he surmised. 'Have to make them leave.'

He cleared his throat and pointed to the main person they were guarding, "Anyone not willing to die for this asshole, better clear on out the back."

The soldiers looked at each other, not sure if they heard correctly. They looked back at Cilan, and each other again. One by one they slowly walked backwards to the exits, not wanting to turn their back on him. The room was evacuated in minutes, leaving behind the Saiyan and his quarry.

Standing up from his seat, the main leader of Gothos was a Litt, but one that was nearly as tall as Cilan. The olive green skinned creature was dressed in gold and white armor with a blue cape. He had a white helmet on like the other troops, but had no scouter on his face. He shot Cilan an evil grin before he spoke, "So what brings the Grim Reaper here for a visit?"

"Just exterminating your organization," Cilan replied nonplussed.

"Of course," the Litt replied.

"Where have you been hiding for so long?"

"I've been here, waiting for this day."

"Well then, why don't we take this outside?"

"If you insist," the Litt raised a palm to the ceiling and blasted a hole, which he then exited through. Cilan followed close behind. When they were 1,000 feet in the air, they faced each other in their respective fighting stances.

"By the way," Cilan broke the silence. "I didn't catch your name. I prefer attaching a name to the corpses I create."

This only caused the Litt to throw his head back and laugh, "I like your sense of humor saiyan. My name is Krull, General Krull." His body was engulfed in an aura of purple ki, "Though the only corpse here will be you." He fired a blast of ki at him, which Cilan dodged.

Krull then began a series of kicks and punches but those failed to connect, Cilan paid him back by slamming an elbow into his back. The litt turned around to fire another blast but Cilan had already disappeared and reappeared to deliver a drop kick to Krull's chest.

"Stop holding back," the saiyan had his arms crossed, his tone unimpressed. "Show me your true power."

"Your funeral," Krull replied as his lanky frame grew bulkier along with his ki. Once he reached full power he disappeared and managed to deliver a right jab to Cilan's face. He tried to follow up with another, but was blocked. Cilan powered up his base form and attacked him, but found that each punch was blocked or parried easily. He broke off from him and assessed his enemy.

"Regretting this fight already?" Krull mocked.

Cilan didn't reply but instead chose to go into his super form. His golden hair was still constrained by the helmet he wore, but his body was surrounded by the golden glow. Krull never heard of the legends of super saiyan's so he didn't recognize what had occurred. Before he could comment however, Cilan went on the attack again.

The sounds of their fists impacting against each other reverberated in the air and the glow of their respective ki's illuminated the area.

* * *

Armun and Milla were moments from intercepting the northern enemy unit when they sensed the fight that erupted between Cilan and Krull. Unfortunately the scouters on the enemy lit up when the fight broke out, alerting them. The three soldiers stopped their movement and looked back to the city center.

"We haven't been noticed yet," Milla whispered into the throat mic as she hid behind wall. Armun nodded as he was opposite of her hiding behind a pillar.

"They might go back and help their leader," the Commander looked at Milla. "On three, rush them."

The Lt. Comander nodded and counted along with Armun. On the third count they sprung from their hiding spots and fired ki blasts at the enemy. The PTO soldiers dodged the surprise attack, and went into their fighting stances.

The main fighter was a tall human with gray skin, and a black Mohawk; wearing black and gold armor. His back up was two small imps that had no hair, but one was red while the other was yellow; they wore white and gold armor. All their armors featured a small orange insignia with a small white 'v' on the left breast plate.

Taking a look at their attackers, the human recognized who they were, "Ghost Recon!" Then he looked back at the area where their leader was fighting. "So that must mean the Reaper is fighting the General."

"You know us, but who are you?" Armun asked with fists raised.

The three fighters looked at one another before they broke out in poses, with the taller fighter in the middle with both imps at his side.

"Giim!" The red imp announced as he stood on his right leg, with his arms pointing to the side at the leader.

This was followed up by the yellow imp who stood on his left leg and his arms also pointing towards the leader, "Chee!"

Crouched down with his arms stretched out, the leader called out, "Captain Roma!"

"Together, we are: The Roma Trio Elite!" All three shouted in unison.

Armun and Milla looked at them as if they sprouted branches from their heads. After a pause, Armun finally spoke, "Is this a joke?"

"This is no joke!" Boasted Roma, "You Ghosts might have had an easy time with lesser forces, but you'll meet your end at our hands!" He then flexed his muscles.

Armun narrowed his eyes and stared at him for a moment before he muttered, "Fuck this." He then moved to attack Roma; Milla followed along as she took on the imps.

* * *

The fight between Cilan and Krull intensified, making nearly destroyed skyscrapers finally crumble under the new shaking. Their battle was stretching into its sixth minute, frustrating the General. His helmet was gone, his armor was cracked in several spots, and his cape was in tatters. Cilan's suit was still relatively undamaged.

"What kind of freak are you!" Krull shouted at the saiyan. In all of his previous fights he was able to defeat his enemy moments after he went into full power. Cilan on the other hand was still holding back in his super state. It had been such a long time since he faced a moderately stronger opponent and didn't want to end the fight early.

'Gotta end this now,' he thought to himself as he felt the spike in ki of his comrades. Cilan knew he should be there in case they needed help. So he powered up and put into the motion the end of the battle. He fired a small ki blast at him, which Krull dodged; but left him open long enough for Cilan to land a punch on his beak.

On impact a loud crack was heard and the general moved back holding his beak, feeling that it was fractured. This only further enraged him and in his fury began to attack at the Saiyan. Krull launched various fists at his Cila's face trying to connect like he did earlier, but the Saiyan was dodging each one. After the twentieth unsuccessful time, the Litt tried a right legged kick at Cilan's ribs, but instead his kick was blocked and Cilan delivered his own kick to Krull's liver.

Without giving him time to recuperate, Cilan launched a series of punches that landed on his opponents face, and then followed it up with an open hand chop to the General's neck. It was powerful enough to send him tumbling to the ground. The impact of the hard landing had jolted Krull's mind back to speed, as he looked up and saw Cilan was flying at him with his beam sword drawn ready to deliver the final strike. Gathering up all his remaining ki, Krull threw both hands towards the approaching Saiyan and fired one massive blast.

Cilan's momentum and the speed of the blast had made it impossible to dodge it, so he covered himself with his arms seconds before the blast hit him. Once it impacted the area was lit up in purple light. Down on the ground, Krull laughed as he had thought that he had defeated the infamous Grim Reaper.

His laugh was short-lived once the smoke cleared and he saw the black figure of Cilan floating above. His face was in open shock, "That's impossible! You should be dead!"

In the air, Cilan's suit was slightly singed, but he had managed to use his ki cancel out most of the blast. He looked down at Krull, smirking at his shocked expression. Cilan landed on the ground a few feet from him and slowly walked towards the Litt. This only made the General try to get up and run away, but couldn't get to his feet, his energy was sapped.

"Get away from me you monster!" He shouted as he summoned all his strength in his legs to stand up. As he continued his slow pace towards Krull, he put away the beam sword and. The Saiyan stood close enough to let Krull see himself in the reflection off the visor in his goggles.

Cilan raised a palm towards the defeated enemy and shot a single blast that incinerated him. He stood there watching until his goggles told him that Krull was dead. After that, he turned from the remains and flew off to the north.

* * *

Armun and Roma were evenly matched; neither could get the upper hand in their battle. They circled each other in the air waiting for the other to attack. Roma moved first, as he disappeared and reappeared at Armun's left side to blast him.

Narrowly escaping that, Armun retaliated by firing his own blast at Roma's head. He was successful, but was surprised to find that it only singed his face.

"Not bad," Roma commented as he wiped his face. He then got it close to launch a series of kicks and punches to Armun's body. All the carian could do was block them as he couldn't dodge them easily. Once Roma had missed a punch, Armus was able to connect a right haymaker to his face.

That drew blood from Roma's mouth, but he responded by firing a small blast into the Commanders chest. Armun drew back, the vest absorbed the blast, but the impact of it still stung. He shook off the pain and moved to attack the enemy Captain again.

Down below on the ground, Milla was fighting a ground battle with Giim and Chee. The imps were trying to corner her, but she was quick enough avoid there ensnarement. One would attack with ki blasts while the other attacked her physically.

"Is this what the PTO calls the 'elite'?" Milla taunted as she avoided them again and fired off a pair of ki blasts. This only caused the imps to get angry, and Chee disappeared. He reappeared behind Milla to grab her back, and shouted, "Fire at her now Giim!"

The other imp charged up his blast, but before he could fire it, Milla was able to tear Chee off of her and threw him straight into Giim. After they impacted they tumbled into the ground in a heap.

"Fuck this bitch!" Giim shouted as he stood up and glared at the elfin fighter, before tossing away his scouter. Chee also did the same, "Let's show her our true power!"

They both nodded at each other, before they stood side-by-side. Then they joined palms and shouted in unison, "Merge!"

Milla stood in her fighting stance as she watched the two imps were engulfed in a swirl of white light. When it died down, instead of two fighters, she saw only one. He looked like the imps but was taller and had orange skin. His voice was deeper when he spoke, "We are now Giimchee!"

"You have got to be shitting me!" Milla shouted as she realized this new fighter was now stronger than her. Before she knew it, Giimchee had somehow appeared before her and punched her in the gut that sent her flying into a destroyed building. She dug herself out of the rubble before the new fighter blasted it. Tapping into her full power she did her best to avoid his attacks.

Above in the air, Armun and Roma were slugging it out trading blows. Armun needed to end this fight as he felt when Milla was getting overpowered by her opponent. The problem was that Roma wasn't giving up any openings, what Armun needed was a distraction. He got one when the area to the south of them lit-up in light; it was from Krull's final blast.

Roma's scouter lit up and exploded as it was overpowered from the ki it detected. Using this, the Commander mustered all of his strength into a right hook that connected with Roma's chin, and then followed it up with a roundhouse kick to his sternum. Armun deiced to use an old attack his great grandfather invented, so he powered up and was engulfed in flames, and shouted "Blazing shoot!"

He delivered an uppercut to Roma which sent him flying in the air, but Armun rushed after him to deliver a powerful kick that sent the PTO Captain to crash into the ground. Armun then put both of his hands together and pushed all of his flaming ki into a red and yellow ball and fired it towards his enemy. When it impacted, it instantly killed Roma.

Milla was doing all she could to not be killed by Giimchee. His power had doubled because of the merging, and even at full power she couldn't match it; she had to try a different tactic. Holding her palms in front of her, she shouted, "Dark Mist!"

Giimchee was surrounded by a black fog that blocked his view. He laughed at this, "What's this? You think those witch powers of your will save you?"

He then began to fly up to try to escape but found it never-ending. The merged fighter then tried blasting in different directions to hit Milla. She herself had managed to dodge them and waited to unleash her other attack. Milla wasn't as powerful as Armun or Cilan, but what she lacked in ki she made up for it in special techniques. Once she saw Giimchee was distracted enough, she made her move, "Dragon's Fire!"

The mega-imp heard the shout and was about to fire a blast in that direction when he was suddenly engulfed in flames. He cried out in pain as he stumbled around trying to put out the fire. Giimchee rolled on the ground and had moved into another destroyed building, which Milla fired at with various ki blasts. They weren't powerful enough to kill him, but it caused the structure to collapse and fall over him.

Milla powered down and breathed heavily. She recoiled in shock when a hand was placed on her shoulder, but relaxed when she saw it was Armun. He scrutinized her, "You ok?"

She nodded, "A little banged up, that's all. You?"

"Same."

A third voice cut-in, "You guys didn't do a bad job."

They looked over to find Cilan was standing where they were hidden earlier. He was toying with a scouter left behind by one of the imps.

"How long have you been there?" Milla glared at him with her hands on her hips.

"A minute or two," he replied before tossing the scouter away.

"What's the status of the enemy fighter you battled?" Armun asked.

"Terminated," Cilan said simply.

Before they could press him further, their attention was drawn to a noise coming from the rubble where Milla fired at. They were shocked to see Giimchee exploding from the pile of stones and extended his hand towards Milla; he fired a concentrated beam at her. Milla didn't have time or the energy to dodge it, but in a split second someone stepped in front of her and absorbed the blast.

Cilan grunted when it impacted into his mid-section, and then fired his own blast that vaporized the top half of the imp. He dropped his hand to the side and turned back to the other two.

"Cilan…." Milla began until she noticed the hole in his armor. "You've been hurt."

"It's nothing," he grounded out.

"Come on Lieutenant, let's go back to the ship so the medics can look you over," Armun ordered before taking off. Cilan and Milla followed along.

* * *

The GSS Independence was in geosynchronous orbit over Gothos. After the battle with the enemy fighters, it had picked up the three members of Ghost Recon, and was currently waiting for its next orders. Its mess hall was empty except for two people; Armun and Milla were having a late dinner.

They were out of their combat suits and in standard issue dark blue fatigues. Both of them made small talk, but every few minutes Milla would look towards the entrance waiting for someone. "Where's Cilan? It's not like him to miss dinner. Do you think he's still in the infirmary?"

Armun didn't look up from his bowl of soup, "I ordered him to write up his after action report once he was done with the medics."

"Why would you do that? He's probably hungry after his fight." Milla was surprised at her Commanders actions.

"I'm trying to teach him a lesson about disrespecting me in front of higher ranking officers." Armun and Cilan had been at odds ever since the saiyan was placed under his command. It all stemmed from the fact that he was the one that originally helped in the capture of Cilan years ago. Armun had thought Cilan was going to be tossed into prison, but was astonished to find out that the Galactic Federation instead took him in.

"Oh like that'll earn his respect," Milla muttered before she walked away from him. He looked at her as she left, but only grunted in response before going back to his soup.

* * *

Cilan was in his personal quarters, sitting at his desk as he typed up his after action report on a computer terminal. He was out of his combat suit and wearing dark blue sweats and gray tank top. After the main doctor told him he was fine, he went for a shower and tried to ignore his hunger pangs. As he worked out the details of his battle, he was mentally cursing Armun for making him do this tedious task.

He never understood why he had to write these reports up. There was always a verbal evaluation, so writing down the exact information was redundant. Cilan was tempted at times to write down nonsense just to see if they are actually reading the reports.

Just as he was cursing his Commander to the deepest pits of hell, his door bell chimed. "Enter," he commanded.

The door opened and he turned his head to see Milla walk in holding a tray of food. "I thought you might be hungry."

His mouth salivated at the plate placed on his desk and picked up a fork and dug in. Milla only smiled at his voracious appetite. She then looked over at his computer screen and read what he had typed up so far about the earlier battle."Wow! That was some fight you had. Wish I was there to see it."

Cilan looked over at her, noting her waif figure. The combat suit made her look bulkier. He also noted she was wearing a perfumed lotion. Swallowing the last bite, he cleared his throat, "It was less exciting than it seemed."

"Yeah right," she leaned on his desk as he went back to the keyboard to finish up his report. The minutes passed in silence, with the only noise heard was the tapping of keys. Once he hit 'Send' to submit the report he looked over at Milla, "So is there anything you need?"

"I just wanted to thank you, for taking that blast for me."

"Don't bother," he waved her off. "Just doing what anyone else would."

"Sure," rolling her eyes at him. She turned serious then, "What did the infirmary say?"

"It was nothing, only a surface burn. I'll just have another scar."

Her face was inquisitive when she asked, "Can I see it?"

He got up from his chair and stood in front of his bed, where he removed his tank top; leaving his upper half naked except for the dog tags he wore. She stood in front of him, as she inspected his body. It was well built, but was littered with scars he attained over the years. Milla focused her attention on a deep red mark that was under his left peck. She traced an index finger over it when she looked up at him, "Does it hurt?"

"Just stings," he tried to keep the desire out of his voice because of her familiar soft and warm touch.

There was a devious smile on her face, "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"Yes," his voice was above a whisper. In the next instant he was pushed down onto his bed, Milla was straddling him as she ran her hands over his body. Cilan's hands were busy unbuttoning her shirt, before she helped him along. After she tossed her blue shirt away, and revealing that she wore a black sports bra that held her petite bosoms, she undid her hair bun and let her blonde locks fall to her shoulders. She then held his arms to the bed and began to speckle kisses all over his chest, before she focused on his mouth.

He let himself be held in place and returned her kiss, before she felt her tongue run along his lips, and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. They made out while the planet Gothos filled the view of the window in his quarters.

* * *

Armun was working out alone in the gym. He was looking for Milla earlier to spar with, but was told by one of the crew members that she was seen heading to the crew quarters with a tray of food. So he was now training alone, but there was one question he kept asking himself.

_Why did Cilan have all the luck?_

* * *

Cilan was in his bed with Milla close to him as they basked in the afterglow. She was asleep as she had an arm draped over him and her leg was intertwined with his, while her head was on the crook of his neck. He was awake starring at the ceiling of his room, while his fingers were tracing random patterns on her back.

Their carnal trysts had been an almost nightly occurrence, which had been going for the last 4 months. Milla had been transferred to their unit a year before after another member was killed in combat. At first he treated her like he treated everybody else, which was to keep them at arm's length. This was simple as his reputation made people who didn't know him, to stay away.

After a while she started to get closer to him, once she saw he wasn't the monster he was made out to be. Milla first began to spar with him and got tips from him on how to better handle herself in combat. They developed a friendship, which Cilan had appreciated because the others had been fearful of him. He despised Armun, so he preferred to keep him away.

The turning point came on one night, when he revealed to her his origins and how his mother had died. She comforted him, and he stole a kiss from her. Looking back, he didn't know why he did it at the time. It could have been from his raging hormones, and she was the only female he was close to. Or it might have been that she didn't treat him as some sort of freak.

To his relief she didn't reject his advance, but instead kissed him back. They had to keep their relationship a secret, as regulations forbade relations between personnel. Cilan didn't mind, as he wasn't experienced in the traditional form of courtship; it was mainly a physical attraction.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a pair of eyes on him. Looking down he say that Milla was awake and smiling at him.

"I can't wait to tell everybody that the Grim Reaper likes to snuggle," her tone was teasing.

"No one will believe you," he smirked.

"You know you're handsome when you aren't glowering?"

"Funny, didn't you say I could scare the enemy with my ugly mug?" He retorted as he looked back up at the ceiling.

Milla only rolled her eyes, "I was only joking."

He didn't reply and silence descended on them again. Milla rested he head on his chest to listen to his heart beat. She broke the silence after a few minutes, "I think Armun suspects something is going on between us."

"Does he?" CIlan still didn't look down.

"He's been asking me where I go after our training matches, because he doesn't find me in my quarters." She looked back up at him, "Do you think we should break it off, so we don't get in trouble?"

"You might get in trouble, they still need me."

Milla raised herself on her elbows to scowl at him, "What does that mean? That the woman gets reprimanded while the man gets all the breaks?"

Cilan only shrugged, which just made her angrier.

"Hey buddy, I'm just as powerful as you are!"

He looked down at her with disbelief written on his face.

"Ok, strength wise, you got me beat. But my techniques can put me on equal footing."

"Point," Cilan had lost to her a few times due to her powers. "Anyway, don't be worried about getting in trouble. If you say I get all the breaks, then I can make sure you don't get in trouble."

"Really?"

He nodded as he rested his head back on the pillow. She laid back down by his side, "You know why they give you special treatment?"

"No."

"They're afraid of you. You're more powerful than they originally thought, especially Armun. They're afraid you're going to turn on them and take over the galaxy."

Cilan chuckled at that, "Last thing I want is to rule this galaxy."

"Why not? Didn't you tell me the Saiyan race conquered planets?"

"Yeah, and they were wiped out by a bigger tyrant. And that tyrant was killed himself. I could take over and rule like a brutal dictator, but then eventually someone will kill me. If I just stick to fighting evil fucks, I'm sure I'll live longer."

"That's a pretty insightful. You're a lot smarter than you look."

"Thanks," he smiled before he frowned and looked back at her. "Wait."

Milla only giggled and kissed him on the cheek, "What are going to do once the war is over?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we're a year or two from defeating the PTO. There won't be anyone left for you to fight."

His frown deepened, "Haven't thought that far yet."

"Haven't or wont?" Milla looked at him waiting for a response; she got none. "Are you going to look for your father?"

"I don't know, maybe."

"Even after you're mother warned you how dangerous he is?"

Cilan only shrugged.

"You could just stay with me after this is over, you don't have to leave."

He looked at her surprised, "I thought your people looked down on outside races."

"That's just the elders, my generation is less xenophobic."

"Hmm," was all he said, before there was silence again.

There was still one question Milla had on her mind, "When you said earlier, that you'll make sure I don't get in trouble, were you serious?"

"Yes," he sat up against the bed frame. "Why are you so worried?"

"I'm just concerned what will happen. I mean, not just the regulations, but also that I'm older than you."

"Only by two years. I'll be 17 this year," he corrected her.

"I know," she sat up next to him. "I just don't want others to think I'm using you."

"If you feel that way, we can just call it off."

She turned her head to him then, "What? No, no, no. If you feel fine how we are now, then I will too."

"I don't know," he sat his head against his arms as he looked at a particular spot on the wall; "Maybe it'd do us good if we took a break. I could sow my oats with some of the hot girls that hang out at the bars we go to." He watched her from his peripheral vision for her reaction.

Milla gritted her teeth and balled her fists ready to slug him, "Why you pig-headed…" he voice trailed off when she saw that he tried to suppress a smile. She caught onto his game and her face turned mischievous.

"Listen here tough guy," she whispered into his ear while she trailed a finger down his chest. "None of those sluts will know how to please a Saiyan like I do."

Cilan's face remained stoic as he stared straight ahead, betraying nothing. However his body couldn't do the same and a part of him reacted excitedly to her touch and sultry talk. She looked down and noticed a tent had formed on his bed sheet covering his body.

Milla only smiled from ear to ear at what she saw before looking back at him, "See? You can say whatever you want, but your body tells me all I need to know."

He only let out a sigh and cursed himself for not having better self-control. This only caused her to laugh before she kissed him again and they went for another round.

* * *

_May 30__th__, Age 771_

The Independence remained in orbit over Gothos. The main ground forces officially recaptured the planet days before and were currently mopping up the scattered forces left over. At the same time, ships carrying people from the Galactic Federations intelligence forces were brought in to pour over data left behind in the headquarters of the enemy.

Ghost Recon was in a mission briefing, which was concerning the data that had been gathered. All three sat in the briefing room, while there were two people sitting at a table before them, with an attendant standing aside. Behind the table was a display that showed the face of Major General Spiers, which they stood and saluted.

"Ghosts, we have two missions that we need you on," Spiers started without preamble. The attendant handed Armun, Cilan, and Milla each a thin tablet display. On the screen they saw a picture of a smiling, blonde, and blue skinned young girl. In a small box in the corner of the picture was the girl's information:

**Dayana Winners**

**Sex: F**

**Age: 13**

**DOB: 7-12-757**

**Height: 5'4"**

**Weight: 114 Lbs.**

**Hair: Blonde**

**Eyes: Hazel**

"The girl you see there is the daughter of Niguel Winners. The president of Phoenix Aerospace, the company that's been building warships for us; one of them being the ship you three are currently sitting in." Spiers informed them before continuing on.

"His daughter was kidnapped from the family home three weeks ago. Local security forces had assumed it was a standard kidnapping for money ransom. However late last week Winners received a coded message demanding that he supply his ships to a point deep within enemy territory in exchange for his daughter.

"Once it was determined that the PTO was behind this, it was given over to us to recover her. Thanks to data collected from Gothos we've determined she's being held captive on an outpost on the planet Tyree."

The display changed to a photo of a reddish planet, with an arrow pointing at the northern hemisphere indicating the location of the outpost. The image changed to another planet, one that was green. Before they could ask a question, Spiers moved on.

"The second mission involves a recon of a science outpost on the planet Nibia. The intel gathered also shows that the enemy is trying to develop a new version of Saibamen that is resistant to our toxins. As you know our success in the war so far has been due to the neutralization of those green monsters.

"We need to know what the PTO has developed so far. Commander Armun, Lieutenant Commander Milla, you're assigned to recon that facility, and if necessary destroy it to halt any advances they may have made. Lieutenant Cilan, you're assigned for the rescue operation." Spiers looked at all three, "Questions?"

Cilan stood up, "Sir, we work as a team. Why can't the Night Marauders handle the recon mission?" He referred to the second special unit made up of ki fighters.

"They're still on assignment in the northwestern quadrant. I know this is breaking protocol Lieutenant, but you're the only group free for both assignments. The Prime Minister has deemed the return of the girl as priority number one, and we can't also ignore the possibility of the enemy trying to stunt our counteroffensive.

"I'll be frank with you Cilan. Out of all of our forces, you three are the best at what you do. Out of the three of you," he looked at Cilan directly. 'You're our best infiltrator, and you're the best candidate on bringing her back alive. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Cilan sat back down.

"Good," Spiers cleared his throat. "Armun and Milla, the Ark Royal is scheduled to rendezvous with your ship in 12 hours to take you to Nibia. Cilan, you'll be staying on the Independence for your mission. You three have your assignments, Good luck."

Spiers saluted the three, which the Ghosts returned before the screen blanked out.

* * *

With only a few hours left before the arrival of the Ark Royal, Cilan and Milla spent it together. They finally had to stop when they only had three hours before the rendezvous. Cilan sat on his bed as he watched the lithe form of Milla gather up her clothes; he was still in his boxers. She was snapping her bra together, but it kept unhooking itself.

This occurred several times until she turned to him, "Would you stop that!"

"What are you talking about?" Cilan's face was innocent.

She only hooked the bra back together again, while she cursed about horny saiyans with telekinetic powers. When her bra didn't fly open again she looked at him, "Ballsy move questioning the General."

He shrugged, "I was just being honest, and I don't like the team being split up."

"Oh really? What about back down there," she pointed down to Gothos. "You were ready to split up to fight Krull."

"That was different; I knew you two could handle yourselves with that enemy squad."

"What's so different about this mission?"

"I haven't scouted it. We don't know what's there."

"You read the mission report, the probes they sent only detected minimal forces," she was buttoning up her shirt.

"Yeah, and the probes and scanners didn't pick up on Krull either," he ran his hand down his face. "I just don't like it. I'd prefer if I was there."

Milla kneeled in front of him and took his hand. "Spiers was right, the rescue mission is too important, and you're the most capable one to complete it."

She ran her thumb on the crated scar on his left hand, "I know you feel you have to protect me, but I can take care of myself Cilan." Milla gave him a peck on the cheek and stood up to fix her hair. "Besides, Armun can take care of any tough enemy fighters we might find."

Cilan only rolled his eyes, "Like that reassures me."

"You know, you should really stop hating him. Just because he beat you years ago doesn't mean you have to disrespect him."

He only snorted in response, "He still won't give me a rematch."

"No duh." She rolled her eyes, "You can dismantle him, but really, if it wasn't for him you'd still be out in space being a thief."

"What if I liked being a thief?" Cilan looked off the side as he crossed his arms.

"Please. Being drafted was probably the best thing for you," Milla stared down at him. "You get fed, given shelter, and you get to fight as much as you want." She counted each reason on her hand. "And lastly, you met me; the greatest thing to ever happen to you, if I do say so myself."

Cilan smirked slightly, "Maybe."

Milla only exasperated at that response and turned to the door, "Oh forget it. I'll see you in a few days."

Before she left his quarters, Cilan had grabbed her hand, "Wait. There's something I wanted to ask you."

Milla raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Remember a few days ago, when you said that after the war is over, that I can stay with you?" He scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah," this worried her. They never openly declared any feelings for each other. In the beginning it was treated as just sex with no emotional attachment. But for Milla, she had developed some feelings for him and had hoped Cilan felt the same. She was testing the waters with her offer, and was slightly disappointed when he didn't give her an answer. It told her that Cilan still viewed their relationship as just a fling.

His face was neutral, "Is that offer still available?"

Her eyes opened wide in surprise, "Yes."

"Then would you mind taking me in?"

"Of course you big lug," she wrapped her hands around his neck as she raised herself to kiss him on the lips. He returned it as he wrapped an arm around her and held the back of her head. They broke off when they needed to breathe.

"I told you I was the greatest thing to walk into your life," she smoothed over her uniform.

Cilan only smiled at her, before his face turned solemn, "Please be careful, ok?"

Milla only gave him a wink and a smile, "Don't worry. I'll see you in a week."

She opened the door and left his quarters. He stared at the door for a few moments before he shook his head and went to get changed.

To be continued.


	9. Flashbacks III

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_June 2__nd__, Age 771_

The Independence was a day away from reaching Tyree. The ship could have reached the planet sooner at its maximum speed, but it was decided to go slower so the probes can gather as much intelligence before the rescue operation could proceed. As it was Cilan was in another mission briefing.

When Armun and Milla were transferred over to the Ark Royal, two other people were transferred over to the Independence. They weren't fighters, but personnel from the Galactic Federation Security Agency. Both were human, one being his handler and other being a tech advisor. They'd been going over the plan in various briefings, with Cilan ignoring much of it except for the important bits.

"Are you listening Lieutenant Cilan?" The question was asked by his operation handler, Mike Samson. Unlike the military officers Cilan had dealt with before, Samson was a civilian agent. Instead of wearing an issued uniform, he was in a gray business suit. He had never served in the military so his frame was on the chunkier side, and his hair was thinning.

"Yeah," Cilan slouched in his seat twirling a pen in one hand. "Tyree is the third planet in orbit of the Lylic system. Its iron oxide surface gives it a red surface and its solar day is 30 standard hours; 14 being daylight, 16 being nighttime.

"Probes have detected 20 enemy forces with 1 being a mid-level ki user," he finished in a bored tone.

Samson wasn't amused, "This isn't a joke Lieutenant, the life of an innocent is at stake here."

Cilan bit back a retort, remembering the words Milla told him.

The agent continued with the briefing, "As for the insertion, we can't use the ship. The enemy has begun to scrutinize the skies when our cloaked ships enter the atmosphere. Instead you'll be making planetary entry by yourself."

"How will I be doing that exactly?"

Samson turned his attention to the tech advisor, Adam Taylor. Unlike Samson, Taylor was dressed in a light blue button shirt and black slacks. He was taller than the handler, but was lanky. He held up a gray spacesuit, with a big backpack. "You'll be using this. It's packed with an inflatable heat shield."

"Wait," Cilan sat-up straight and looked at both men incredulously. "You're telling me I'm going to make atmospheric entry in a space suit?"

Both men nodded at him, which only further stunned him, "Are you people insane?"

"Hear me out. If we tried to enter with this ship, it'll light us up too much to go undetected. If you make entry, you'll just appear as a shooting star," Samson tried to reassure Cilan.

"I understand that, but what's stopping me from being incinerated?"

Taylor spoke up, "As I said sir, the suit is packed with an inflatable heat shield. We've been using this on all of our probes and it can withstand the high heat."

"How many people have done it so far?"

"Well…" Taylor scratched at an imaginary itch on his arm. "You'll be the first."

"Perfect," Cilan muttered while he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is this the only way I can get to the planet's surface?"

Both men nodded again, which made the saiyan grumble under his breath. Samson cleared his throat, "Moving on, you'll be making entry in the nighttime and you should land at an area that is 50 kilometers west of their base. Your main objective is to secure Ms. Winners. Once that is achieved, your second objective is to terminate all enemy hostiles. After that, the Independence will extract you both."

"What do I do in case she's dead?"

"Secure the remains until you're picked up. Though our analysts believe that Ms. Winners is still alive," Samson nodded to Taylor. "We also have new gear for your infiltration of the base."

Taylor handed Cilan a silver attaché case. When he opened it, he found three items packed inside the foam padding: A beam sword hilt, a rectangular display, and small rectangular box that was the size of a deck of cards.

"The first item is a new beam sword; it's twice as powerful as your older model and three times as durable. The second item is a new field computer that can be strapped to your forearm. It'll link up wirelessly to your goggles, and features camera and radio jamming.

"The final item is a ki blocker. It can mask your ki signature from enemy scouters. However it can only mask it to a point. If you go into your golden mode, it'll overwhelm the device. It can clip onto your combat suit."

The last device fascinated Cilan the most. He held it up to inspect it, "Did Armun and Milla get ki blockers?"

Samson shook his head, "No, that's the only working prototype we have right now. Its development was rushed once we found out who kidnapped the Winners girl. We felt it'd serve best with your mission."

Cilan didn't like knowing that his comrades weren't getting the same gear, but couldn't do anything about it. He closed the case and set it aside.

"We'll adjourn this briefing for now. There'll be another in 12 hours for a final overview. Get yourself acquainted with the new items."

* * *

_June 3__rd__, Age 771_

Cilan stood in the cargo hold of the Independence. He was wearing the space suit he was shown yesterday. The Ark Royal sent word that Armun and Cilan had deployed hours earlier. Samson was with him, giving a final prep talk, "We're over your drop point. We've monitored communication from the enemy and they still don't know we're here. We've developed a new secure radio communication system, one the enemy hasn't cracked yet. But try to keep radio use down to a minimum anyway."

The saiyan nodded, before he rechecked his suit and the pack that contained the heat shield. He also re-secured another pack that was on his chest, it contained his combat suit and gear. Lastly, he made sure the latch in his space helmet was secured, "How much time will I have?"

"5 hours until sunrise. The planet's moon is in a new phase, so it'll be pitch black."

A force field activated, separating Cilan from Samson. The door to the cargo bay opened behind Cilan and he had to use his powers to not get sucked out.

"Good luck Lieutenant!" Samson shouted.

Cilan nodded and jumped into the vacuum of space. He floated away from the ship, which was cloaked, as the only visible part of it was the inside of the cargo hold that was slowly closing back up. It wasn't the first time Cilan was out in space, he'd been out there for training in zero gravity. As he floated slowly towards the planet, all he could hear was his own breathing.

There wasn't much time to enjoy the view as he was being pulled by the planets gravity. When he was entering the upper atmosphere, the heat shield automatically deployed from the backpack. It inflated to three times his size, its shape was reminiscent of an upside down umbrella. The shield began to glow as it picked up speed.

For Cilan he was facing outward to see the blackness of space change to an orange glow. It felt like he was on a roller coaster seated backwards. The suit was designed to withstand the 900 degree temperature of the reentry. He was on edge when everything began to shake for him.

After a minute he cleared the atmosphere and was rocketing towards the ground. He deactivated the heat shield and slowed down. Cilan touched down on the ground where he was supposed to, and took off the space suit. He was bemused to find the heat shield had scorch marks all over it. Once he was in his combat suit he buried the space suit then radioed in, "Uptown 1, this is Downtown 1. I've made landing. Over."

"Roger Downtown 1," Samson's voice came over on the radio. "We have you on tracking; you are 47 klicks from main objective."

"Copy that," Cilan replied before he flew to the enemy base. It would take him a little under 6 minutes to get there, so he decided to go over his plan again. The ki blocker could only mask his normal base form, so he couldn't use powered up blasts without giving himself away. It also couldn't block his beam sword, so he'd have to get creative on the infiltration.

When he was 7 kilometers from the base he flew over hills when something in a valley caught his attention. He landed in front of the remains of what used to be a house. In the briefings, it was mentioned that Tyree wasn't densely populated as the conditions of it didn't allow much vegetation.

'Must have belonged to one of the few people that lived here,' he thought to himself when he walked around it. It was then he discovered whom it belonged to. On the ground not far from the home were two skeletal remains. Cilan wasn't an expert in identifying bones, but he could deduce that the first set was male, the bones were picked clean of meat, but its tattered clothes looked masculine. There was a gaping hole where the chest used to be. Curiously, it clutched onto a black rifle.

'Poor bastard tried firing at his attacker before he was killed,' he reasoned as he crouched down and removed the rifle from the skeletal grip. It was a gauss rifle; it used electromagnets to fire projectiles at a high velocity. They used to be the standard issue rifle the Galactic Federation before they switched to beam rifles. He studied about them when he was in officer's school.

The rifle was still fully charged and nearly had a full magazine. He set it aside and walked over to the second set of remains. Instead of laying on its back like the first set, these were face down in the ground, and it looked like it clutched to something. The clothes it had looked feminine, and there was a hole in the back. Turning the remains over he found what it was clutching.

Wrapped in a bundle was the skeleton of a baby. It didn't take much to guess that it was the child of the female, who was likely its mother. From the lack of a blast hole on its body, it was left to starve to death after the mother died protecting it. He tried to detach himself from the scene and get back to the mission.

However, his imagination replayed what was likely the last moments of this family. He also knew how his mother died saving his life. Cilan looked over the remains again, and made a decision; he entered the house and came out of it a few minutes later with a shovel in hand.

It took a few minutes, but he dug three graves for the remains and set each one in their final resting place; he used the rifle as a grave marker for the male's remains. He gave them a moment of silence before he flew back towards the base. It didn't take much to figure that one of the PTO soldiers were the murderer of the family, so he made himself a promise then, 'I'm going to kill all those fuckers.'

Cilan made his way to the compound minutes later and was laying prone on the ground on a hill a kilometer away from the compound. "This is Downtown 1 to Uptown 1. I'm one klick from the chicken coop. Over."

"Uptown 1 to Downtown 1, roger." Samson had seen what Cilan did, but said nothing about it. "Our scans show there are 21 hens in the roost. Over."

"Confirmed," Cilan's goggles showed the same count, which meant Dayana was alive and in the base. "I'm moving in now. Over."

"Copy. Good luck."

Cilan circled the base to find a lone sentry guarding a side entry. The computer indicated there weren't any active cameras around the guard. He flew quietly over the guard, and drew his knife when he was overhead. Cilan flew straight down to tackle him and covered the guard's mouth before he could yell in surprise. They struggled, but the sentry stopped when the knife was jammed into his neck and was cut open.

There weren't many places to hide the body, so Cilan could only drag it to a dark spot. He sat him up against the wall and hoped the shadows could hide it enough. He wiped the blood off his gloves on the dead guard's suit and made his way to the door. Before he opened it, he looked through it with his x-ray vision and with his ki senses.

Behind the door was an empty corridor, there were a few cameras but no personnel. However, his goggles showed that were a number of ki sensors in the corridors. He could only conclude that they relied on ki detection than visual tools.

He turned up the camera jammer and made entry into the base. Walking down the corridors; his senses told him a very weak ki signature was down below in the base. The map projected on his goggles could only provide a rough outline of the bases interior, which was based on scans from the probes.

His senses also told him that where was heading now was clear, but there were a number of soldiers down below.

'Guarding the girl,' he thought the obvious. At the end of the corridor were a set of doors that his visor revealed to be an elevator. Cilan looked at it, 'If I use it, I might as well get on the PA and tell them I'm here.'

He looked to the side and found another door, but his visor showed it to be a stairway access. They were empty as well. As he made his way down the stairs, his radio picked up idle chatter but there was no mention of camera problems. Once he was closer to the bottom his scanner showed him there were 5 soldiers on the floor. Two were near the girl, another two were walking the halls, and one standing in front of the door to the stairway.

Cilan took out garrote wire and wrapped it around his hands as the door silently opened behind the hapless guard. In a flash the wire was wrapped around the neck, and the guard tried to remove the wire with his hands. He struggled but eventually he suffocated, and his body stilled. The saiyan kept the wire wrapped around the dead man's neck for another moment; just to be sure he wasn't faking.

After dragging the body into the stairway, he entered the hallway and made his way to the two patrolling soldiers. For them he would need to attack them fast. He set the radio jammer to its maximum as he neared his two targets. Drawing his knife again, he rushed them.

One moment the guards were talking amongst themselves when one of them was knocked to the floor. When he looked up he saw his partner held up by the throat by a figure in black that was stabbing the other man's stomach with a knife. Before he could raise his beam cannon to fire, the knife had flown into his chest piercing his heart. He looked at the knife in disbelief before he died himself.

Cilan tossed the body aside and picked up his knife, he didn't bother trying to hide them. His main concern was the last two guards. He found the door that led to them and the girl. He un-hooked a pair of flashbangs from his vest and pulled the pins before opening the door to toss them in.

The two sentries that stood guard were not aware of the deaths of the others, nor did they hear anything over their radios. Their attention was drawn to two cylinders that rolled along the floor which exploded seconds later.

The flashbangs did their job, by temporary blinding the two. The real damage they did was the loud noise produced that threw off their balance. Both guards flailed blindly trying to regain their balance; their blindness would last for seconds.

It was enough time for Cilan to stroll in and grab the first guard in a headlock, while he used the guards beam cannon to shoot the second on in the head. Then he gave the first guard's neck a quick twist until a snap was heard. After dropping the guard, he went through the next door.

'Holding block,' was all he thought when he walked past the prison cells, until he reached the final one. Inside it he found one Dayan Winners. Unlike her picture, her face was smudged with dirt, her white shirt and blue jeans were in tatters, and her blonde hair was grimy.

Cilan's nose could detect that she hadn't been allowed to bathe since the kidnapping. Her legs were chained to the floor, and around her were dirty dishes that had the remnants of what he could only guess was gruel.

Dayana looked up to him and flinched, "Who are you?"

"Your rescuer," Cilan replied while he tore the cell door open.

"I don't trust you," she tried crawling away from him.

He only rolled his eyes before he lifted his goggles and lowered the balaclava to show his face. "I'm Lieutenant Cilan of the Federation Space Forces. Your favorite color is red, your teddy bears name is Casey, and you like eating strawberry cheesecake ice cream."

In his briefings, Cilan had asked if there was any personal information that only her family would know in case he needed to gain her trust.

Dayana widened her eyes at him, "How do you know that?"

"Your dad told us before we came here," Cilan broke the chain off her ankle. He helped her up, but before they left he put his goggles back on to give her a scan. As he suspected, there was a tiny bug planted on her right shoulder. He removed it and brought it closer to inspect it.

"What is it?"

"A tracking device," he thought about crushing it, but decided to toss it away instead. Destroying it would tip off the others. He raised the balaclava, "Can you walk?"

She nodded, so Cilan lead her away. He had turned down the radio jammer and listened in to see if the enemy was wise to him yet. There was talk of not being able to raise the cell block guards, and orders were given to investigate. 'Better hurry this up.'

Dayana looked at the dead guards before she looked back at Cilan, "Are you the Grim Reaper?"

"Why do you ask?"Cilan was leading her to the stairway access as he still didn't want to use the elevators.

"They talk about you. You're the only thing they're scared of."

He said nothing, while they entered the stairway. Not sure if she could walk the flights of stairs, he carried her and flew to the main floor. Once there, he found guards waiting for the elevator and stood close to the access door. Cilan debated on waiting until they leave or using his grenades and make a break for it.

'Fuck it,' he readied a pair of stun grenade and tossed them out into the hallway. After they exploded he hurried with Dayana in tow. Before making their exit, the alarms sounded. Cilan picked her up and flew towards the west where he originally landed.

"Downtown 1 to Uptown 1, I have VIP and am heading to rendezvous point."

"Roger Downtown 1, we'll begin atmospheric entry. Hostiles are scrambling at enemy base. Secure VIP and finish second objective. We'll extract you once enemy has been suppressed. You are free to engage all hostiles."

"Copy." Cilan couldn't leave her out in the open so he flew towards the home he found earlier. Touching down he led her towards the home, picking up the gauss rifle he left planted along the way.

"What are we doing here?" Dayana asked as she viewed her surroundings.

"The ship won't land until all those assholes are dead," he handed her the rifle. "Hide in here and use this."

She nearly dropped it, "I don't know how to use this!"

"What?"

Dayana rolled her eyes, "I'm an heiress, not some special forces wonder girl."

Cilan grunted in response while she showed her how to properly hold it, "Pull the trigger, and shoot the business end at anything not me."

He was about to leave again when he decided to clip the ki blocker on her, "Hang tight."

After leaving the house, he flew back towards the base and charged up his ki. It had the desired effect, as his scanner showed 12 of the low level guards moving to his position. He readied his beam sword and dove towards them. The soldiers didn't realize who they faced until it was too late.

In a matter of moments a black mass mowed through them leaving behind hacked pieces that fell towards the ground.

'Where's the mid level?' He asked himself when his scanner couldn't locate him. It was then a blast was fired his way, which he easily dodged.

When he looked at the originator of the blast he found a short fat green alien with four eyes starring him down. Unknown to Cilan was that this was a Bas-jin named Fotu. Guldo and he were the last of their race as Freeza wiped them out, as their time stopping and telekinetic powers were a threat to him.

Unfortunately for Cilan he wasn't aware of their powers as there wasn't any intel on them. When he found his ki was weak he shot a beam blast towards him.

However Cilan was surprised to find that Fotu disappeared before it hit. Fotu was meters away from the impact point breathing heavily. After another blast, the saiyan was again dumbfounded that he missed.

'No fucking way this is possible,' Cilan grumbled in his mind. He charged up his ki and decided to rush him with his beam sword. When he swung the sword, he found again that he sliced nothing but air. Fotu was again meters away breathing heavily. Frustrated, Cilan decided to charge up his ki again but to use it in a wide area blast.

He flew up over Fotu and was ready to unleash his ki, when every nerve in his body went numb, and stood still in mid-air.

"What the fuck?" Cilan thrashed about to make his body move.

"So the scary Grim Reaper fell into my mind trap," boasted Fotu. "My mind freeze stopped you dead in your tracks!"

"Mind freeze?"

"Just one of my race's telekinetic techniques."

"Then how were you able to dodge my blasts?" Cilan still couldn't move his body.

"Our other technique, time freeze. I can stop time however long I can hold my breath."

"Should have known, there was no way you had the speed to dodge me."

"It'll be your last mistake," Fotu prepared a blast of his own. "After I finish you off, I'll be famous."

Cilan had to think fast, he couldn't move his body at all. But he then thought about fighting fire with fire, or to be more accurate, mind versus mind. He found a rock not far from the Bas-jin; it moved and flew into his fourth eye.

Fotu cried out in pain and his concentration dropped, allowing Cilan to move. Before the saiyan could land, Fotu was about to stop time again. However he couldn't when a beam sword had implanted itself into his right lung.

He fell to the side as Cilan slowly walked up to him, "How did you do that?"

"Oh I have my own telekinetic powers," Cilan's sword twisted further into Fotu. "They're not as sophisticated as yours. But they work in a pinch."

"Impossible," Fotu coughed up blood. "You monkey's don't have the brain capacity for such powers."

The beam sword flew from Fotu's chest and into Cilan's right hand, where he deactivated it. He drew his left palm toward the Bas-Jin and a ball of ki formed on it, "Guess I was special."

The blast was released and vaporized Fotu.

While Cilan had fought with Fotu, the last guard flew unnoticed to the house where Cilan had left Dayana. He was given instructions by Fotu to drop his ki so he could go undetected. The guard recognized the home as he was there when one of the others killed the family. They had a good laugh about it afterwards.

He noticed that the bodies that were left out in the open were missing. His scouter wasn't picking up any readings from the house, but went in to investigate. When he entered the home he found nothing but dust and rotted furniture. He was about to head into the kitchen when he heard a scream and then felt something slammed into his chest.

"Fuck," the guard muttered as he slowly got up. He looked at his armor and noticed that it was cracked but the slug didn't penetrate. It still knocked the wind out of him.

Dayana aimed the rifle at him again and fired another round, but he dodged it. "Drop the weapon bitch, or I'll kill you!"

She smiled at him, which confused him. It was then he noticed she was looking at something behind him. Turning his head he saw Cilan standing at the doorway. The guard turned and raised his beam cannon, but Cilan was before him in an instant. One hand was on guards arm directing the cannon away from him and the other was on the guard's throat squeezing it tightly.

It took a few moments but the guard stopped struggling and his body went limp. Cilan dropped his body and looked at Dayana, "You ok?"

She nodded and set the rifle aside, then looked at the guard, "Is he dead?"

"No," he turned the body around and tied the guard's hands with zip ties. "He'll be another POW."

Once the unconscious prisoner was secured he called in to the ship, "Downtown 1 to Uptown 1, all hostiles have been neutralized, with one capture. Over."

"Roger. Independence has cleared atmosphere and moving to your location for extraction. Over and out."

Cilan motioned for Dayana to follow him out while he carried the unconscious guard. They waited outside of the desolate house waiting for the ship. For her, she was looking forward to a hot shower and a change of clothes. For him, he wanted to get back in touch with Milla and impress her with his latest battle.

* * *

Armun and Milla were making their way to the research facility. They landed on the planet using inflatable heat shields like Cilan did. It was nighttime when they landed on the planet. The planet Nibia was a jungle planet; both fighters were jumping from tree to tree to not use much ki and go undetected.

"He's not good for you," Armun commented over their private radio channel.

Milla stopped on a tree branch as she turned to look back at him, "What are you talking about?"

"You and Cilan," Armun stood next to her.

"The Lieutenant and I are comrades," she began as she fidgeted.

"Stow it Milla. I know you two are involved."

Milla darted her eyes before she looked down and sighed, "Since when?"

"Three weeks ago, your ki flared in Cilan's room and I knew you weren't fighting him."

She shifted her legs, "Yeah, we've been together. Please don't report on us Armun."

"If I wanted to, I would have when I found out," he crossed his arms. "But you can do better Milla."

"What's wrong with Cilan?"

"What isn't wrong with him? He's pig-headed, openly disrespects authority, and gets away with it."

Milla smiled up at Armun, "It sounds like you're jealous of him."

"I'm not," he said before moving on into the jungle. "Hurry along, we're on a mission."

She only rolled her eyes and followed him. They moved along in silence, forgetting their previous conversation.

Both of them stopped at the edge of the jungle and saw the facility in the clearing. However unlike other enemy bases, it didn't have outside patrols. That set off a warning bell for Armun, as he scanned the facility again.

"I don't get it, the scanner says there are 50 people inside of there, but it looks empty."

"We should try our senses," Milla suggested. Armun nodded and concentrated using his ki senses. Instead of 50 people, he found one. His eyes opened wide in surprise when that single person's ki level was equal to Cilan's.

They both looked at each other, and said in unison, "Ambush."

That's when they decided to turn back and head to where they landed, while Armun was contacting the Ark Royal, "Magic Man to Mother Goose, we're scrubbing the mission and requesting emergency evac for me and the Witch. Over."

"Mother Goose to Magic Man, why are you scrubbing the mission? Over." The voice of their handler came over the line.

"Our senses shows there are no personnel at base, except for one high level ki user. We believe this is a trap. Over."

"Our scanners are showing 50 different enemy ki signatures, Magic Man."

"Ours does too, but trust us when we say they're being faked."

"We will need to…" The voice cut-off for a moment, "Our scanners are now showing a high level ki signature moving in your direction."

Armun and Milla had already known that and decided to quit jumping and fly away.

"Mother Goose to Magic Man, we'll begin entry, but we cannot land due to high level danger from the enemy. We can perform an aerial extraction but you'll only have a small window of opportunity."

"Copy that," Armun said while he moved up higher into the air; Milla followed suit. The commander was thinking his next steps; the ship would take at least 5 minutes to enter into the atmosphere. From the speed of their unknown enemy they would be lucky to have a minute, Armun came to a decision.

"Milla, go on ahead and rendezvous with the ship. I'll hold off the enemy."

"Are you crazy Armun?"

"The ship won't pick us up in time. If I fight this asshole, you can still save yourself."

"I can't leave you behind, we fight as a team."

"Not this time, I can't risk you throwing your life away. Not to say what Cilan would do if you died," Armun smirked as he stopped in mid-air.

Milla stopped as well, "But…"

"But nothing," he cut her off. "You have your orders, now follow them."

She was near tears as she realized what Armun was doing for her, "I'll have the ship wait for you, ok?"

"Sure, see you around Milla."

Milla paid him one last glance before she left him behind. Armun waited in mid-air for the other fighter.

As he thought, he met his enemy in under a minute. After a gust of wind, Armun faced a person that was as tall as he was. He was wearing gold and white armor with a purple cape, and his frame was wiry. His head was covered with a white helmet, but had a dark visor on it to hide his face.

"Commander Armun of Ghost Recon," hissed a voice before he looked at the direction Milla flew off to. "Lt. Commander Milla. Where's the Grim Reaper?"

"Who wants to know?" Armun clamped down on his nerves.

The masked fighter chuckled, "That's not important. I had this ambush set-up for Lieutenant Cilan, but they send the lesser forces."

"Lesser forces?" Armun was insulted.

"Unless Spiers sent him to rescue the girl," he ignored Armun. "I should have had that cunt killed."

He stared back at the Commander, "No matter, killing you will be enough to send a message to the Federation."

"We'll see about that," Armun charged up and rushed the enemy. The carian launched various punches but missed every one of them. He tried again but hit nothing but air. The masked enemy laughed before he disappeared, and rammed a fist into Armun's stomach.

"You're strong Carian," he said to the Commander. "But you're an insect compared to me."

Armun couldn't respond as he clutched his mid-section, the enemy raised his fist and smashed the top of Armun's head causing him to tumble to the ground. He crashed into the ground and saw the enemy was flying in.

Raising his palms, Armun launched ki balls, but each one was deflected away. The fighter replied with his own ki attack, before they could hit him, Armun rolled out of the way.

When he finally got his breath back, he stood up and looked for his enemy. In an instant, he appeared before Armun and delivered his own punch and kicks. The speed of them caught him by surprise and Armun could only block some of them, but the ones that connected felt to him as if he was hit by anvils.

After the onslaught Armun's neck was held up by the enemy in a vise like grip, "Well Commander Armun of the 1st Special Operations Group, you were no match for me. On the bright side you'll get a nice funeral."

He charged up a ki blast and was ready to fire it into Armun's face. It was then a blast hit his back, unfazed, he turned to see Milla up in the air.

"Armun! Run!" She yelled while she threw out more blasts.

The masked fighter dropped Armun and regarded her, "Lt. Commander Milla."

Milla responded by firing off more blasts, and dodging his attacks. Armun got on his feet and rubbed a hand on his neck, his vocal cords were strained. He looked up to see Milla fighting, "Run Milla," he tried to yell. He cursed and went to help her out.

The fight for Milla was not much better for her; she could only dodge the enemy's attacks. What was worse for her was not just defending against such power, but not letting his insults get under her skin.

"I don't know why they let you on the team; you're the weakest one of them all," he taunted.

"Shut up!" she lunged at him. He moved out of the way and delivered a powerful kick into her ribs nearly breaking them. Before he could inflict further damage Armun tackled him with enough force to send him a few meters away.

"Why did you come back?" Armun held Milla.

She let out a series of coughs, "Couldn't let you die out here. I got an idea, you hold him off and I can hit him with my lightning attack. That'll knock him out long enough for us to make it to the ship."

Armun agreed and set her on the ground. He flew towards the enemy fighter and again tried another series of punches and kicks. As expected, his enemy easily dodged them, but he just needed enough time for Milla. However, the masked fighter broke off from him and let out a single beam shot of ki at him.

At first he thought it was meant for him, but found it missed him and went straight for Milla. It pierced her chest and she fell to the ground.

"Oops. There goes your little plan," he taunted Armun. "One down, one to go."

Armun was slack-jawed at her lifeless body, and something within him boiled over with anger. He looked back at his enemy and threw out his hands. He was surrounded by a blue aura of ki, as he gathered it all within his body. It then swirled around him as he threw his hands together, and it collected into a sphere on the palms.

"Flaming Flash!" he yelled out while a massive storm of flames erupted from his hands. It engulfed his enemy in red and yellow flames. Armun poured all of his ki into it. When he was nearly drained the attack dissipated and he landed on the ground exhausted.

He was about to go to Milla's body when he heard a laugh, and turned in horror to the smoke. Out from the flames appeared the masked fighter; his cape was burned away and his armor and helmet were charred.

"Nice attack you have their Armun, you guys know how to entertain," he raised a palm and prepared another blast of ki.

Armun used up most of his ki in his attack and knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it. Before the enemy could launch it, a voice shouted out surprising both men.

"Lightning Storm!" Milla had her palms out and called forth her attack. Dark clouds formed over them and thunder cracked the sky. Moments later lighting began to rain down on the enemy fighter, who was able to dodge the first few but then one strike hit him, followed by others.

All the strikes poured millions upon millions of joules of energy into him. The attack lasted for a full minute; when it was over the fighter fell to the ground with his body emanating smoke. Armun walked to the body hoping it was dead, but unluckily it seemed all it did was knock him out.

He didn't have the energy to finish him off, and he cursed himself for not carrying a beam sword like Cilan did. Instead he turned back to Milla, where he picked her up and flew back up into the air with his remaining strength.

The radio in his ear came to life, "Mother Goose to Magic Man, come in!"

"Magic Man here, please tell me you can extract us. Enemy is down but not for long."

"Roger, we are in upper atmosphere with cargo hold open for you. We're sending our location to your field computer. Over."

Armun's goggles showed the location of the ship relative to where he was flying. "Roger Mother Goose, I have a fix on your location and will be there shortly. I'll need a medic team to meet us on the ship; the Witch is critically injured and needs immediate assistance."

"Roger," the handler replied before switching off.

"Armun," Milla choked out as her lips were covered in blood.

"Don't talk; we're almost at the ship."

"Tell Cilan…. Tell him I'm sorry," she coughed up more blood.

Armun looked down at her, "Tell him yourself, you're not dying on my watch."

"You've always been a good friend Armun."

He didn't respond as he caught sight of the ship, and flew towards it as fast as his ki would allow him. After flying into the cargo hold, the crews immediately closed the door and told the pilots to move the ship back out into space.

Armun collapsed on the ground after handing Milla over to the medics. He tried to stay awake to watch over her, but his exhaustion was getting the better of him as his eyelids became heavy. The last image he saw was of Milla being put on a stretcher and wheeled off to sickbay.

* * *

_June 5__th__, Age 771_

Cilan paced the lobby of the docking station waiting for the Ark Royal to show up. After rescuing Dayana, the Independence docked at a space station where the heiress was debriefed and sent back to be reunited with her family.

The day after the rescue was when he had gotten word about the ambush, and wanted to intercept the Ark Royal, but he and the ship were ordered to say at the station while the Ark Royal would show up the next day. All he heard was that both Armun and Milla were in critical condition.

He had requested further updates, but none was provided; he suspected they kept information from him from the looks he received from the crew. All it did was add to his mental cursing for not being there on Nibia.

Cilan looked back out of the station windows and finally caught sight of the ship. 30 minutes later it had docked with the station and he pushed his way onto the ship making a beeline for the infirmary. When he entered he found Armun sitting on a bed with his body covered in bandages.

"Armun, what happened?"

The Carian looked at him with regret, "It was a set-up. They made up the story of the facility to get at you. We would have been killed, if it wasn't for Milla."

"Is she ok?" Cilan grabbed him by the shoulders looking him straight in the eye. Armun could only close his eyes and shake his head. "She fought hard to cling on, but…"

The color drained from Cilan's face and his voice lost all emotion, "Where is she?"

"Morgue," Armun choked out.

Cilan didn't say another word and walked towards back of the infirmary. The staff would have stopped him, but one look at his face had told them not get in his way. When he entered the morgue, the smell of formaldehyde hit his nostrils; he ignored it as he focused on the body of Milla on a solitary stretcher covered by a blue sheet.

He took slow steps as he neared her body, his mind couldn't process the fact that the corpse in front of him belonged to the same person that he had held in his bed. Cilan reached for her hand and nearly dropped it. He was so used to her hands being soft and warm, but were now cold and clammy.

As he held her hand, he prayed that this was all a bad dream and he would wake up next to her. But his mind was too logical for that, and he let her hand go. He kissed her once on the forehead before he left the morgue and made his way silently to Independence.

Later on, when he was in his personal quarters, he realized how cold his room felt and how alone he truly was.

To Be Continued.


	10. Behind Green Eyes

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_November 8__th__, Age 776_

Kei Mizuno wasn't arrogant like her cousin Bulma, but she had her quarrelsome attitude. Cilan only found out about it a week later when she began to move items into the apartment. First Kei wanted to get new furniture as she found the existing ones to be old and tacky; Cilan didn't mind as they were free and functional. The second point of contention was over dinnerware, or more accurately, the lack of it.

Cilan was a typical bachelor, so he preferred just using paper plates and plastic cutlery. Kei had insisted that he buy proper dishes. Though that started another squabble as he wanted to just buy stainless steel plates, while he found the fancier china that she wanted were too fragile. Kei had won that battle again, when Cilan told her she could buy what she wanted, he figured she wouldn't have the spare cash and he'd win by default. He didn't count on Kei asking Bunny for the money.

After that, things settled down into a normal routine where each would try and wake up first to use the bathroom before the other. Both would normally be out of the apartment by around 7 a.m.

On this day however, Cilan was dressed and ready to go by 5. He would have left without Kei knowing, but the smell of the coffee he was making and the noise he made in the kitchen woke her up.

"Why are you up this early?" Kei was in pink pajamas and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Wanted to get an early start on my training," Cilan said after a sip from his mug. He conveniently left out the part of his nightmares waking him up extra early for the fourth day in a row.

She then noticed the bags under his eyes "Are you ok? You seem like you haven't gotten much sleep."

"I'm fine," he gulped down the rest of the scalding beverage and placed the mug in the sink before moving towards the balcony doors. "I'll see you later."

* * *

Cilan was in the gravity chamber, doing push-ups, while the gravity was set to 450G. The training bots were deactivated and lined up against the wall. The muscle shirt he wore was littered with scorch marks from ki blasts. He wasn't able to dodge the ki attack as his mind couldn't concentrate. The problem being that today was the 12 year anniversary of his mother's death.

In the GF he was usually in combat so he could push his thoughts away around that time. After retirement he was alone so he could mourn in solitude. He figured he could have taken the day off and mourned by himself; but with Kei around, all he could do was try and train the day away.

After performing his 10,000th push-up he turned around and laid on his back to look the ceiling. He contemplated on using the bots again, but knew he still wouldn't be able to dodge their attacks. After a moment further he stood up and went to turn off the gravity chamber. With his concentration shot, he knew he needed to be somewhere else to take his mind off his problems.

* * *

Pete's opened at 5 o'clock every weekday; Cilan showed up at 5 minutes after. The bartender was surprised to see him there that early. He was fascinating to the barman since he first showed up. Cilan had the 1000 yard stare but looked too young to have served long in the military, too young to have fought in the Cell crisis anyway.

"What can I do for you?" The bartender was polishing a tumbler.

"Bourbon," Cilan replied monotonously. When the glass was placed in front of him, he placed a 100 Zeni note on the counter and added, "Leave the bottle."

The barman looked at the money and then at Cilan's face. He recognized the look of a person seeking to drown his problems. If he was any other type of person he would have asked what was wrong, but as a bartender, he made it a point to not get involved as it was bad for business.

He smirked at the casually dressed young man before he left the bottle and took the cash, then went to attend to other patrons. Cilan drained the tumbler in one gulp before he poured another.

One and a half bottles later, Cilan's mind was in an area where he was past buzzed, but not quite drunk yet. It gave his mind a kind of clarity about his situation. Mainly how fucked up his life was in the grand scheme of things. The first was that his creation was forced on his mother so some megalomaniac can raise an army to conquer the universe. The second was that his father was a sociopath that would have destroyed the universe.

Miraculously, his mother managed to escape from Paragus's clutches, but then decided to birth him instead of doing the sensible thing of getting rid of him. Then his mother died saving his life, only to be picked up by a military that just saw him as weapon for their war. The ironic part was that Milla was right; joining the Galactic Federation was his best possible outcome.

Thinking of her just made him bitter, as she and his mother were the only two people in the universe who loved him, who had actually saw him as a person and not some monster or a valuable war asset. But the universe saw fit to have them both killed, and he couldn't have done anything to save either of them.

His mother loved him, her actions proved that, and her death affected him greatly during his teen years. It fueled his rage and go on kill crazy rampages out on the battlefield in the first few years. By the time he met Milla he had toned down his rage, but his rep was sealed. Her death just reawakened that rage. After the war, he still held onto that anger, though it was mainly directed at himself. They never declared their love for each other, but he saw it in her eyes, and he cursed himself for letting his pride not tell her how he felt.

Cilan never sought out anyone after that. There were flings with random women, but all it did was leave an empty feeling within.

'Abandonment issues,' he thought bitterly before knocking back another shot. His thoughts turned back to Candy, he knew if he sought her out it'd be another fling. With her being a blonde, all it would do was just substitute her for Milla and open old wounds again.

'Last thing I need now,' he told himself as he looked at the half empty bottle. He poured himself another double and knocked it back.

* * *

It was half-past eight and Kei sat on the couch dressed in pink pajamas, studying notes from her advanced physics class. She would look at the balcony doors every few minutes. Cilan hadn't shown himself all day and she was slightly worried.

After she came back from campus, she expected him to show up at night for dinner. When that didn't happen, she called Capsule Corp and found out from her aunt that he left there early.

It was almost 9 when Kei decided to call it a night; she put her books away and was going to head for her room when the balcony doors opened. Cilan stumbled in and nearly fell over the couch.

"Cilan! Are you ok?"

He looked at her bleary-eyed and slurred out an, "I'm…. Fine."

Kei stood at his side to make sure he didn't topple over; that was when she caught a whiff of his breath. "You've been drinking."

"A… little."

"Can you walk?"

Cilan stood up and stared straight ahead for a moment then looked at her, "No."

"Come on, let's get you to bed." She put an arm around him while he leaned into her for support and they staggered more than walked down to his room.

When they entered his room, Cilan went straight to his bed and fell face first onto it. Kei was ready to walk out when she took a look at the surroundings. This was the first time she had been in his room and was not surprised it was quite sparse, though orderly. The photos on the dresser caught her eye, before she scrutinized them, she saw the medals.

"Wow," was all she could say. There were various crosses, ribbons, and star shaped medals, all surrounding one that was a golden star that had an image of a spiral galaxy in the center. She looked back at Cilan only to find him snoring.

"He said he served in the military, but geez," when she placed the frame back, she picked up a picture frame. On it was an image of a black haired young woman dressed in a hospital gown sitting on a bed; her pale face was looking down sadly at a wailing baby she held in her arms. It was dated 10-17-754.

"His mother," she looked through the other photos, all showing his progression in age. Kei noted that they didn't seem to smile much. The last photo she saw was of them in a lobby overlooking space, and a delta shaped ship in the background. They both were wearing cloaks. That picture was dated 10-17-764.

The date jogged her memory from their conversation they had at the bar:

_My mother was killed shortly after I turned ten._

'Would that mean she died around this time?' She asked herself. Cilan had been acting moody for the last few days, and if it was due to his mother's death, that would explain it.

Kei looked back at him sadly; she wished he'd talk to her more about his problems, so she could help him. Promising herself she'd talk to him tomorrow, she helped him out of his jacket and shoes, and placed a blanket over him. It was then she heard him mumble in his sleep, "Mom… Milla… why?"

"Milla?" She looked at him to see if he would say anything else. When he didn't she turned off the light and closed the door behind her as she left his room.

* * *

_November 9__th__, Age 776_

Cilan felt like his head was in a vice when he woke up. He opened his eyes to find himself in his bed.

"How the hell did I get here?" His voice sounded like something died in it. The last thing he remembered was ordering a third bottle then blankness. He noticed his shoes were set beside his bed and his jacket was hanging on a coat rack. The last time he got hammered he woke up in a bathtub in some stranger's apartment.

Before he could figure out what happened, there was a knock at the door, which only worsened his headache. Kei poked her head through, "Morning Cilan."

"Don't talk so loudly," he grabbed at the sides of his head.

"Sorry," she lowered her voice.

"What time did I get in?"

"It was 9 when you crashed here; you nearly fell over on the couch. You slept in the entire morning."

Cilan's eyes shot up then and looked at his watch. It was almost 11 in the morning, "Shit, I'm late."

"I already called my cousin and told her you're not feeling well," Kei said before he could get up. "She said you can take a few days off."

"Really?" He was surprised by that. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Be sure to wash up, I have breakfast ready."

Cilan nodded. After she closed the door, he laid back down and was going to go back to sleep until his bladder told him he needed to go to the bathroom.

* * *

After emptying a bladder full of alcohol, Cilan took a long shower. It did little to get rid of the hangover, but at least he smelled better. He changed out into a pair of slacks and a clean shirt. When he went into the kitchen he found a plate full of bacon and eggs, toast, coffee, and 4 aspirins. Kei was dressed in a white blouse and dark blue jeans, eating a bowl of oatmeal. He picked up the four white tablets to inspect them before downing them all with a gulp of coffee.

Cilan stood at the table while he waited for the coffee and the aspirin to do their work. After a few minutes he sat down and began to dig in; he hadn't eaten since the previous morning. Kei watched him as he ate, trying to figure out how to ask him about last night, but decided to be direct.

"About last night; did it have anything to do with your mother?" When he stopped mid-bite to look at her, she added quickly, "You mumbled about her in your sleep."

He put down the fork and looked at the scar on his hand, "It was 12 years yesterday when she died."

Kei had to stop herself from apologizing as he hated when she did that, but she did reach out and covered her hand with his, "If there's something bothering you, just talk to me, you don't have to go get drunk."

"I'll remember that," he looked at her hand frowning, thinking back to the last conversation he had with Milla.

"Didn't you ever have anyone to talk to before?" She noticed his frown.

"Once, her name was Milla."

Kei perked up at that, "Who was she?"

"She was my comrade in my unit, before we got close."

"Was she your girlfriend?"

Cilan shook his head then, "No, we were lovers; though she would have been eventually."

He kept referring to her in the past tense, which Kei picked up on and had a hunch, "What happened to her?"

"She was killed in action about 5 years ago."

Kei squeezed his hand, "Do you have a picture of her?"

He nodded and closed his eyes, she was wondering what he was doing until she saw a picture frame float to the table. She was told about his mental powers, but still wasn't used to them.

Cilan looked at the picture for a few moments before he handed it over. Kei glanced at it the night before, but now scrutinized it. It was a color photo set in what looked like the briefing room on Cilan's ship.

There were three people set before a large display, all wearing black jumpsuits. In the middle was a tall green alien with a smirk on his face, to his left was a young woman with blonde hair and dark brown skin. She had her hand on her hips and was shooting a mischievous look at the third person. That person stood off to the side with his arms crossed and wearing a black ski mask and goggles. The photo was dated 3-2-771.

"She was pretty," Kei said simply, Cilan nodded in reply.

"Was there anyone else after her?"

"No."

She frowned at that, but pressed on, "Who's the tall green guy in the middle?"

"Commander Armun, he used to be my superior office," he said plainly.

"Where is he now?"

"By the time I retired he was assigned to train new recruits for the GF."

She nodded, and then a small smile formed on her lips, "Is the last person you?"

He again nodded.

"Always anti-social, huh?" She handed the photo back.

"Yeah," he looked over the photo again and ran a thumb over the image of Milla.

"Why didn't you say you were a war hero?"

"What?"

"I saw the medals you earned."

"Oh," Cilan grabbed his fork again and went to finish his breakfast.

Kei raised an eyebrow, "You don't think of yourself as a hero?"

"No," he looked at her with a slight frown. "I'm just a soldier; the real heroes were the ones that never made it back."

"Well you saved me, so you're a hero in my book."

Cilan only grunted and went back to eating. She smiled before she finished her bowl of oatmeal. After he was finished he sat back satisfied. He still didn't feel 100 percent but the hangover was passing.

"So what are you plans today?" Kei asked as he collected the dishes.

"I honestly don't know," this would be the first time Cilan took time off from training.

"Have you done any sightseeing here on Earth?"

"No," he scratched the back of his head; the only places he visited were Roshi's Island, Capsule Corp., or the desert.

"Well get changed so I can take you out to see the city."

"Don't you have classes today?"

Kei shook her head, "Campus is closed today because of a flex day for the professors."

"Ok," he shrugged before grabbing the picture frame and going back to his room.

* * *

_November 21__st__, Age 776_

Cilan was about to do it, the battle had been long, but he was getting close. The sparring match with Goku was stretching past an hour. It was their third for the day and so far Goku was 2-0, but Cilan was hopeful for this round.

Both saiyans were in their first super mode. Goku was in his orange gi, while Cilan was in his combat suit, minus the mask. Both were in their fighting stances waiting for the other to make the first move. It was the fifth pause in their match.

After a moment, Cilan made the first move. He disappeared and reappeared before the older saiyan and began with punches and kicks. Goku easily dodged them, and responded in kind. The younger saiyan was able to dodge and block them, then broke off and fired various ki blasts from his finger tips.

Goku dodged them, but noted that if he was slower they would have hit his face. He fired off his own blasts from his palms, which Cilan deflected away. Then he disappeared and launched another barrage of punches. Easily dodging them again, Goku went for a right hook, but instead of blocking it, Cilan ducked; then delivered a left-handed punch into Goku's kidneys.

It hurt him like hell, but he managed to drive an elbow into Cilan's head then kicked him away. The younger saiyan didn't fly far and charged at Goku again. This time he charged up a sphere of ki and held it in place. Cilan then flew up into the sky over him and dove in.

Goku wasn't sure what Cilan was planning but was about to charge up his own ki, when a rock flew into his face.

"What the…" Goku couldn't finish his sentence when another rock flew at him. He dodged it, but more and more were coming at him. Cilan was flying in with the blast in his hand and using the sun at his back to further obscure him.

The older saiyan could have used his teleportation technique but he needed time to concentrate, which the rocks weren't giving him. He needed to do something to stop Cilan and that was when he saw the sun behind the younger saiyan.

Cilan was close to unleashing his blast when he saw Goku place his hands in front of his face. He wasn't sure what Goku was going to do, but then heard him shout:

"Solar Flare!"

The area filled with a blinding white light and made CIlan's vision see nothing but pure whiteness. He crashed into the ground and thrashed about at his blindness.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Cilan was blinking his eyes rapidly as he sat up trying to get his bearings.

Goku was next to him grinning like a fool, "Guess I win the match."

"Of course you win, I'm fucking blind!" He yelled as he rubbed at his eyes. Panic was setting in as his mind was conjuring up what his life would be like sightless forever. No more fighting, he would no longer be a soldier, he wouldn't see the stars again, or look at Kei's face again.

'Wait, where did that come from?' Before his mind could answer that, he heard Goku laughing. "What's so fucking funny!"

"It's only temporary," he replied as he held his sides.

"Really?" Cilan stilled and looked in the direction of Goku's voice.

"Yeah," he wiped a tear away. "Give it a few minutes."

After five minutes, Cilan's vision was returning and felt relieved when it did so. This only made Goku laugh again, "You should have seen your face! I can't wait to tell the others."

"Yeah, whatever," Cilan dusted himself off. "What was that attack called?"

"Solar flare."

"Solar flare, huh? How does it work?"

Goku was about to answer when his wife's voice filled the area.

"Lunch is ready!"

The two had been sparring not far from Goku's home. His stomach rumbled at the prospect of being fed, Cilan's gut made the same noise.

"How about I show you after lunch?" Goku scratched at the back of his head. Cilan only nodded.

* * *

Goku's kitchen was noisy from the sound of four saiyans gorging on rice, meat, and vegetables. The others had been told how the third match ended and were ribbing Cilan about it.

"You didn't know it was temporary?" Gohan chuckled between bites.

"No," he grunted. "So that attack doesn't work if you have sunglasses on?"

Goku nodded, "Or if you close your eyes."

Cilan filed that away for later, and making sure he wears his mask for their next fight.

"So Cilan, Bulma told me her cousin moved in with you," Goku asked after pushing away a third plate.

He nodded and was about to take another bite, but Gohan let out a whistle, "The red-head? Cilan you sly dog, you're barely here for less than a year and you're trying to marry into Bulma's family."

Cilan nearly dropped his chopsticks, "I'm just letting her stay at my place so she's closer to campus."

"Sure, that's what you say now," Gohan had been on the receiving end of the others jokes when he first started seeing Videl, so he felt the need to carry it on.

"She's just a friend," Cilan grumbled.

Chi Chi decided to speak up at that moment, "Now leave him alone Gohan."

She was mistrustful of Cilan when he first arrived, but unlike Vegeta, her judgment came from him possibly being a bad influence on her children. Though she softened her stance when she saw he was polite and respectful. Chi Chi had also overheard him saying that she reminded him of his mother.

Goku was busy chowing down on a fourth plate of rice, but was amused at seeing Cilan getting flustered. The younger saiyan always looked grim and serious, but he showed signs of emotions when it came to his personal life. In between bites he looked at Cilan, "Come on and finish up, we still got enough daylight for a few more matches."

Cilan nodded and dug into his own plate.

* * *

It was after dinner and Cilan was busy helping Chi Chi clean the dishes. When he was done eating, the others had mysteriously vanished leaving him behind when Chi Chi asked someone to help her clean up.

He had four more matches with Goku and lost every single one of them. Cilan was wondering if the Yardrat's had taught Goku instant miracle along with instant transmission.

"Cilan, what is going on between you and Kei?" Chi Chi asked after handing over a wet dish.

"Nothing is going on," he was busy drying the plate. After Kei took him on a tour of West City, they had gone back to their own lives. Cilan was busy mastering 500G and guarding Bulma. Kei was busy preparing for her finals; though she had mentioned that they should hang out more after she was done for the semester.

"Oh really?" Chi Chi raised an eyebrow. "Where I come from, when a man and a woman live together that means they're in a relationship."

"She's just my roommate," he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well you better reconsider; girls like her don't stay single for long." Chi Chi hid a smile; Bulma had told her about Bunny's plan and decided to go along with it. She herself had been trying to get Gohan to finally propose to Videl.

Cilan only rolled his eyes while he put away another dried plate. He was wondering why his personal life was so important to everyone else. As for Kei, she was attractive, but she was busy with her studies. They were friends and he felt that was enough. Besides, he figured he wasn't her type. She seemed to be attracted to sensitive skinny guys, based on the book covers of the cheesy romance novels he found laying around the apartment.

'Sparkling vampires,' he thought as he held back a snort.

* * *

_December 3__rd__, Age 776_

Android 18 and Cilan were on the deserted island for their weekly sparring match. The saiyan was in his super form, on the attack while the android was on the defense. She was flying backwards using her hands to deflect his ki blasts.

Cilan had mastered 500G a week before and the results of it were paying off. His speed was overwhelming 18, and all she could now was dodge his attacks. She also noticed that over the weeks that Cilan had been progressively becoming more relentless in his attack. His face took on such an emotionless mask that he almost looked like a machine.

He fired off a few more blasts then switched to firing beams of ki from his fingertips. 18 couldn't deflect those so she had to dodge them, and each one was dangerously close to hitting her. As it was, there were singe marks on her clothes.

18 fired off her own blasts from her palms. Cilan deflected each of them away, and responded in kind with his own. After dodging them again, the android tapped further into her power and fired off more blasts. This time Cilan didn't dodge, instead he held his palm out and the spheres of energy stopped in front of him. They stayed there until they moved back to attack 18, which she had to dodge.

Cilan fired off one more blast but instead of directing at her, it exploded at her feet, which kicked sand into her face. 18 tried to rub the sand particles from her eyes quickly, but Cilan took the opportunity to clothesline her to knock her down.

When she was finally able to see again, her vision was filled with a ki ball formed in Cilan's hand and pointed at her face.

"Yield," he commanded with no emotion in his voice.

18 blinked a few times before she nodded. The ki disappeared from Cilan's palm and held out his hand to help her up. She grabbed onto it and stood up.

"You ok?" Cilan asked.

18 shook the sand off and looked herself over, before replying bitterly, "Yeah, but my clothes are ruined."

Cilan smirked, "I'm sure you can afford new ones." He then pushed the button on his watch to change back into his normal clothes.

That raised an eyebrow from her, "You're calling it a day?"

He nodded, "Yeah, unless you feel up for another round?"

The android considered it, but she had lost each match today, "No."

"Let's go back," he powered down, but his hair was still golden. "I wanna see what Krillin's making for lunch."

18 could only smile at his appetite, before she took off for Roshi's island; Cilan followed suit.

* * *

Krillin decided on having a grill out; with the island being in the southern hemisphere, it was summer so it was nice sunny day out. 18 and Cilan arrived to find Krillin, Marron, Oolong, and Master Roshi lounging around on the beach.

"Hey guys!" Krillin called to them as they landed. He was in flip flops, red shorts, and a tacky blue aloha shirt. He was at the grille flipping steaks, "What are you doing here this early?"

"The bottomless pit wanted to eat," 18 muttered as she walked towards the house to change her clothes.

Cilan rolled his eyes at her before turning to the former monk, "Toss me a cold one."

Krillin pulled out a can of beer from a cooler and tossed it to Cilan. However when he caught it in his hand, the can was crushed in his grip and poured beer down his hand. Cilan looked at his hand and the crushed aluminum can. Oolong and Roshi were laughing, while the saiyan muttered a curse after throwing away the ruined can.

"Want another?" Krillin asked while holding back a laugh.

Cilan nodded, and used his telekinetic powers to float the can in the air. He grabbed it very lightly, and did his best not to apply too much pressure. Since he finished 500G, he had done what Goku told about staying in his super saiyan form until he could fully master it so it could feel natural like his base form. This meant he needed to make sure he didn't destroy things while doing normal tasks.

It took Goku and Gohan nearly a year in the hyperbolic time chamber and another week in the outside world for them to master their powers. Cilan didn't look forward to the time ahead, if it meant he couldn't eat and drink normally.

He took a long pull from the can when the front door of the house opened and nearly caused Cilan to spit it all out. He expected to see 18 walk out, but instead saw Kei at the threshold, dressed in a blue two-piece bikini. Cilan was not just surprised by her presence, but how she looked. He knew she was attractive, but this was the first time he saw her in such a state of dress. She wasn't petite like Milla, but her hourglass body was toned.

"Hey Cilan!" She walked down the steps and up to him. He tried to ignore the sway of her chest and hips.

Cilan shook his head quickly to get his mind cleared, "Kei, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, Krillin invited me; he said he was having a party today."

"Did he now," he glanced at the man in question, who seemed to be busy with the grille.

'Krillin,' Cilan called out telepathically, learning the technique from Goku.

'Yeah?' he replied back.

'Why is Kei here?'

'I heard she was living with you, and I wanted to meet her. Any friend of yours can be a friend of ours,' replied Krillin cheerfully.

Cilan narrowed his eyes, 'You're lying.'

Before he could press further, Kei interrupted him, "Why aren't you wearing beach clothes?"

"Uh, what?" He was wearing a long sleeved white button shirt and blue jeans.

She raised an eyebrow while tucking her auburn hair behind an ear, "You aren't dressed properly for a beach party."

"I didn't know about the party, in fact I just came back from sparring with 18."

"Oh," she said simply, while she rubbed her chin and looked at him.

He fidgeted slightly under her gaze, "What?"

"I think you look better as a brunette, but I do like the eye color."

This only caused a sweat drop to appear on Cilan's forehead.

Krillin watched them from the grille and could see they were friendly with each other. He didn't know about Kei until he spoke with Bulma. Not surprisingly, Cilan never mention her.

It was easy enough to invite her over, but she nearly left when she saw that Master Roshi and Oolong lived on the island. He promised her that those two would behave; all it took was money to bribe them. As he was preparing the food, he was able to talk with her, mainly about Cilan.

He learned how they originally met in the park, and he could only chuckle at how Cilan just disappeared after rescuing her. Krillin would have stuck around and hoped to have gotten a date. He also learned that Cilan had lied to him about having been in love before. Hearing that Milla died in combat explained why the young saiyan seemed to prefer to stay alone.

As Krillin put another raw steak on the grille, he frowned. He suffered from loneliness for many years before he met 18. His small stature and lack of nose made it hard for him to find love, but he never gave up. Cilan on the other hand seemed to have welcomed solitude.

Krillin smiled at the fact that Cilan had decided on living on Earth, so he could easily help him settle down. The former monk knew that Kei would be the key to that. Though that plan would have its speed bumps; one of which was going to be his mentor.

Master Roshi let out a whistle, "I can see why you've been avoiding Candy. She's nowhere near as hot as Kei."

"Candy?" Kei raised an eyebrow at the turtle hermit before looking back at Cilan.

Before he could answer Oolong jumped in, "Just this stripper that has the hots for soldier boy over here."

"Stripper? Where did you meet her?"

"Ms. Kitty gentlemen's club," Cilan answered as he ran a hand down his face.

"What!" Kei had her hands on her hips mimicking Bulma when she was angry. "You went to that scummy place!

Cilan again wanted to speak his side but Roshi cut in, "Now hold on Kei. We took Cilan there when he was looking for a place to drink. All he did that night was drink at the bar; I had to convince him to get that lap dance…"

"Lap dance!" She turned back to Cilan with her arms crossed and had a look of disgust, "You let a skank like her rub up on you?"

He was going to answer, but Kei turned around and went back into the house not bothering to listen to him, "I thought you were different Cilan."

* * *

Cilan sat against the wall of Roshi's house and looked at the ocean horizon, with empty beer cans around him. He was ready to leave after Kei stormed off, but Krillin convinced him to stay or the food he cooked would go to waste.

He ate a few steaks then had retreated around the corner of the house taking along the beer cooler, and tried to enjoy the view of the ocean, though the earlier argument kept him from doing so. It angered him that Kei overreacted and wouldn't let him tell his side of the story. It also bothered him that he cared what she thought. Before when someone was angry with him, he just shrugged his shoulders and went on with his life.

Cilan was brought out of his thoughts, when he saw 18 and Marron waving at him from the water. He returned the gesture before he reached into the cooler for another beer. A shadow fell over him, looking up he saw Kei standing over him, still dressed in her bikini.

"Can I have one?" She asked quietly.

He scrutinized her for a moment before he handed her a beer, and grabbed another for himself. She sat next to him and looked out over the ocean. They sat there in silence, watching the wave's splash on the beach.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Kei finally spoke. After she had calmed down, she realized she was being silly, but something in her just made her mad about Cilan being close to some stripper.

Cilan took a sip of beer and still looked at the horizon, "Accepted."

They were quiet for a few more minutes, until Kei spoke again, "So how many times have you been to that club?"

"Just once," he replied.

She nodded, "And have you talked to Candy since?"

"No."

"That's good; a girl like her would be bad for you."

Cilan smirked, "I guess she would be."

She smiled then stared back out into the horizon. They were silent again and enjoyed their beers while they watched the view.

To be continued.


	11. Calm Before the Storm

**Author's Note: I'd like to thank the reviewers who have liked this story so far. I would also like to personally thank Coy Fish, for helping me with this chapter. Just one more slow chapter before the major conflict that's been hinted at before.**

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_January 8__th__, Age 777_

Cilan was flying through the air in his combat suit; his destination was for Kami's Lookout. The previous month passed by in a blur for him. After the beach party on Roshi's island, Cilan continued his training in his super form. By the end of the month he and 18 decided to end their sparring matches when it became clear he had surpassed her. However, he still visited the island on the weekends. Apparently they liked his company and asked that he stop by.

Kei finished her semester and aced her finals, then had hung out with Cilan for a week. However her father asked for her to stay with him for the holidays. She was conflicted on either going or staying in West City, but Cilan told her to visit him. He never said it, but he envied her for the fact she still had family that cared for her. She was gone for two weeks, and leaving him alone in the apartment. He thought it would be nice to have the place to himself again, but found that it felt different without her around.

Earth's holidays were different from the ones celebrated in the western galaxy, but even there Cilan never celebrated them. To him they were just another day and if he was lucky a day off. The Son and Briefs family had each invited him over to their homes for their own celebrations, but he declined them as he felt it was a time for families and he would feel out of place. Instead he focused on his training, and made extensive use of the Gravity Chamber.

Bulma had told him that at beginning of the New Year she was going to upgrade the power source in Capsule #3, with a new one based on what she learned from the Arkbird's reactor. Which meant it would be decommissioned for some time. The blue haired scientist had promised if her design worked it would double the gravity chamber's output. Once January rolled in, Cilan went back to training in the desert, but decided to train his mental powers. Piccolo had offered him to help him, so the saiyan felt he should finally take that offer.

He spotted Korin Tower in the distance and changed his trajectory to fly straight up. Once he was above the clouds he caught sight of the red underside of the floating temple. He sped up and landed gracefully on the floor of the ancient palace. It was the second time he saw it, the first was from the cockpit of the Arkbird when he first arrived.

The saiyan was surprised to find flowers and various plants growing on the grounds. He did a double take when he saw butterflies among the plants. Before he could look closer the sound of footsteps interrupted him.

"Cilan," greeted Dende from the temple entrance. "What brings you by here?"

"Looking for Piccolo," he replied gruffly before turning back to the edge of the lookout.

Dende stood next to him, "He'll be out in a few moments."

Cilan said nothing and just observed the planet below, silently marveling at how blue it looked from this height.

"So you finally decided to show up," Piccolo's voice reverberated from the temple. "You got bored of fighting 18?"

Cilan turned back to him, "She wasn't a challenge anymore, and with the gravity capsule out of service, I decided to drop by."

"Makes sense," Piccolo crossed his arms. "How far along are your mental powers?"

"Not much improvement since the last time you saw me."

Piccolo rubbed his chin, "Sounds like you need to work on your focus. We can fix that."

The saiyan shrugged, "If you say so. We'll be training here?"

"Are you kidding? I've finally been able to fix this place after the damage Super Buu did to it, so I'm not going to let you wreck it."

"Where then?"

"Break Wasteland," the namekian said before he walked to the edge of the lookout and took off.

* * *

Piccolo was sparring with Cilan. Unlike normal sparring matches, he could use physical and telekinetic attacks, but was barred from using his ki. With those stipulations, it made their fight interesting for Cilan; he was still in his super form though.

Piccolo had hundreds of years of experience in fighting and used it effectively against the saiyan. Cilan on the other hand didn't have the same years of knowledge, but his youth and tenacity helped him in blocking and parrying the namekian's attacks. He tried to use his mind powers to create opening for an attack, but Piccolo used his own telekinetic powers to block them.

Cilan tried delivering an uppercut with his right elbow, but Piccolo easily moved his head out of the way and left the young saiyan open to get a left hook into his ribs. Letting out a grunt, Cilan jumped back trying to ignore the pain, but the namekian pressed on the attack.

Piccolo's fists were coming at him at a lightning pace, but Cilan noticed a pattern to them that he memorized. When a left cross punch was moving towards his head, Cilan didn't dodge it; instead he deflected it with his right forearm, then immediately jumped up and delivered a flying knee to Piccolo's chest.

If Cilan was in his base form, the strike would not have hurt. However, because he was in his super form, it was many times stronger. Piccolo staggered back as one hand clutched his chest. His other hand wiped the purple blood from his mouth.

He looked at his hand then back at Cilan before smirking, "Cute." He fired eye laser blasts at him.

Cilan's first instinct was to dodge the attack, but instead he forced himself to stay put and put his palms forward. He created a mental barrier which caused the twin beams to impact the shield and bend around him harmlessly.

"That all you got old man?" Cilan taunted. Instead of getting angry, Piccolo just threw his head back and laughed. Then he fired multiple ki blasts from his palms. The saiyan again used his barrier to deflect or absorb the spheres of ki, and was able to send some of them back towards the namekian.

Dodging his own attacks, Piccolo flew up into the air and held both hands in the air, gathering yellow ki in his palms.

"Masenko!" He shouted before thrusting his palms forward at Cilan and unleashed the blast. As the yellow beams raced towards the ground, Cilan was thinking fast. His mental barrier couldn't deflect that blast. He couldn't cancel out the blast with a Kamehameha as that would mean he'd lose the match. If he dodged it, Piccolo would hit him with another. 'Unless….'

The blast impacted and exploded in brilliant light. Piccolo had thought he might have blasted the saiyan, but then noticed a black clad figure a few yards away from him in the air. He disappeared then reappeared before Cilan.

"You cheated," Piccolo said with his arms crossed but with a knowing smirking on his green face. "You used your ki to fly."

"Nope," Cilan mimicked his posture. "I used my mind to fly which didn't expend any ki."

"Good, you're learning quickly." The namekian went back to his fighting stance, "Let's go for round 2."

* * *

They had a few more sparring matches which ended in draws. Piccolo wasn't seeking to win against Cilan, only to make him use his mental powers in different ways. By the afternoon, Piccolo began to push the saiyan's limits of his telekinetic powers. Both were standing at the base of a rock structure that was the size of a three story apartment building.

"So what are we doing here?" Cilan asked with his mask and balaclava removed.

"I want you to lift that," Piccolo pointed his thumb at the rock formation.

"What!"

"You heard me."

"That's impossible," Cilan eyed the top of the rock warily.

The namekian crossed his arms, "I saw Freeza lift a mountain with ease. Are you telling me you're weaker than him?"

That drew a glare from the younger man, who then glared at the rock and held his palms out. Closing his eyes, his mind focused on the image of the structure. He stood there gritting his teeth for several moments. A crack began to form at the base of the rock, spreading around it. After a few more moments, the structure began to slowly lift.

Cilan's eyes turned red as the blood vessels in it burst. When the rock was ten feet off the ground, his breathing was heavy and blood trickled down his nose. It floated there for a full minute, before it fell back to the ground with a thunderous thud. His knees grew weak and fell onto them.

"How was that?" The saiyan asked between breaths.

Piccolo looked unimpressed, "Do it again, but this time lift it higher."

Cilan looked at him incredulously while his nose continued bleeding.

* * *

_February 3__rd__, Age 777_

Cilan stood in his room, wearing his old royal blue dress uniform and looking at himself in the mirror. Piccolo couldn't train him today as he and Dende had business to attend to in the afterlife with Lord Enma. Capsule #3 was still out of commission when the new reactor Bulma designed exploded, so that would mean another month without the gravity room.

He had contemplated going on his own to the wasteland, but without Piccolo there to push him to his limits it wouldn't be the same. Instead he decided to take the day off. When he looked through his clothes he found his uniform hanging in the back of the closet. It still fit him, and he realized it had been almost 7 months since he last wore it. Between then and now, he looked the same.

His thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on his door. Kei popped her head in, "Cilan…"

She stopped talking when he faced her, and she caught sight of him in his uniform. The door opened further and she stood in the doorway looking Cilan over. He was uneasy under her gaze, "Is there something you need?"

Shaking her head, she stopped gawking at him, "Just surprised to see you were still here. What's with the uniform?"

"It's been a while since I wore it, wanted to see if it still fit."

Kei stepped up to him then she ran her hand down his sleeve feeling the uniforms material, "It certainly looks like it does."

He said nothing as he tried to ignore her warm hand. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Do you miss being in the GF?"

Cilan raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Are you a telepath?"

She laughed at that, "No, but my Dad was the same way after he retired from the royal army."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, "So do you?"

"Yes," he answered. He didn't miss taking orders from bureaucrats, but at times he did miss the sense of purpose that organization gave him.

"Well don't worry, you're still young, so you'll find something to do." She smiled warmly at him. Kei turned away from him and went for the door, but she stood in the doorway and looked back at him, "Are you going to train today?"

"No."

"Would you mind coming with me to the hospital?"

"Hospital? What's wrong?" His voice took on a worried tone.

"Nothing, I'm just scheduled for a procedure."

"What procedure?"

She rubbed her arm, "It's called a cerebral angiography; basically they inject barium into my veins then put me in an x-ray."

"Why?"

"It's to see if I'm bleeding in my head. My mom died of an aneurysm in her brain, and it might be genetic."

"Oh," Cilan frowned. "Why isn't your family going with you?"

"I haven't told them because they would fuss over me. I have a friend that usually goes with me, but she had a family emergency. If you don't want to, that's fine, but it's too late to reschedule…"

"I'll go," he interrupted her.

"Really?"

Cilan nodded.

"Great! My appointment is in two hours," She turned back to the hallway, but looked over her shoulder at him. "I suggest you change out of your uniform, unless you want the nurses to swoon over you." She winked at him before closing the door.

He just looked at the door before he smirked and shook his head.

* * *

Cilan took her advice and changed into his usual gray button shirt, and black pants. He drummed his fingers on the armrest of the hospital chair, while he sat in the lobby. He hated hospitals; the smell of antiseptic reminded him of the infirmary on the Ark Royal, where he saw Milla's corpse. Kei was admitted a few hours before, and in that time he had waited while his mind had thoughts about what Kei was testing for. After she left he looked up information about aneurysms on his phone.

'She didn't show any symptoms,' was his first thought. 'But sometimes there were no symptoms.'

'They could treat it… But there was a 50 percent mortality rate,' he clinched his fists. 'If she did die, then the dragonballs… Would be useless.'

Death by an aneurysm would be considered a natural death, so the dragonballs wouldn't be able to bring her back. It also made him remember that she had already died once; when she and the rest of the human race were exterminated by Super Buu three years earlier. That made him frown deeper, knowing that had Goku's and Vegeta's plan against Kid Buu failed, then Earth and the human race wouldn't have been brought back and Kei would have stayed dead.

The nurse working the hospital desk noticed his deep brooding, "Don't worry sir, I'm sure your girlfriend will be all right."

Cilan looked up and was about to correct her when the doors opened and an orderly wheeled Kei out in a wheelchair with her right leg lifted. Dressed in red sweats and a white t-shirt, she looked paler than usual, and her locks of auburn hair were tied into a pony tail.

"You ok?" He kept his voice gruff.

"I'm fine, I just want to be out of this chair," she said tiredly.

"Sorry Ms. Mizuno, but you'll have to stay in the chair for a little while longer," the orderly told her.

"But I can walk," Kei whined as she crossed her arms.

"Hospital regulations, you'll have to be wheeled around until you're discharged. Besides, I don't think he'll mind escorting you around," he motioned to Cilan.

The saiyan nodded, "How long will she need to be in the chair?"

"About 4 hours, then she'll be able to stand," the orderly handed the wheelchair to Cilan. "We'll have the results ready by then."

The orderly left them to go back into main hospital. Before anything was said, a stomach growled loudly. Surprisingly it wasn't Cilan's, but Kei's.

"So I take it you're hungry," he tried hard not to laugh.

Her face went several shades of red, "I haven't eaten since last night, because of the test."

"I'll take you to the cafeteria, anything you want?" He began to wheel her.

"All I want right now is a big greasy burger," she paused, "With fries."

He chuckled at that, "Good choice."

* * *

The door to the apartment opened and Kei walked in with the help of Cilan. She had been discharged from the hospital with her tests coming back negative for any complication. Obviously she was relieved, but so was Cilan.

"I can walk on my own now," she shrugged out of his arm.

"The doctor said to take it easy," he went into the kitchen.

"I know, I was there," Kei sat down on the couch. "I just need to rest for a bit, and I'll be fine."

"You want some water?" He asked from the kitchen.

"Yes, please," she grabbed the remote from the coffee table and tuned to the news when a glass full of water floated to her. She looked at it before she shook her head and took it. "Thanks!"

Cilan said nothing, and then Kei heard noise from the kitchen, "What are you doing?"

"Making a sandwich," he replied. "Want one?"

"Sure, no mayo please."

After a few minutes a plate with a sandwich floated to her. When she took the dish, Cilan sat next to her with a plate holding two submarine sandwiches and his other hand holding a beer bottle. She took a bite and liked at how it tasted, "This is good, thanks."

Cilan only grunted while he ate, which made her smile. Kei raised an eyebrow when she saw Cilan drink his beer, "You're not crushing the bottle, are you learning to control your powers?"

"Yeah, I'm becoming more relaxed in my super mode. Another month and I can go back to my base form."

"Aw, really?" She pouted, "You look cute with green eyes. Maybe you can wear contacts?"

He snorted, "Yeah, that's not happening."

She pouted again, "Spoil sport."

"Anyway, all I need now is the gravity chamber up and running again."

"I've been helping Bulma on that reactor, but it won't be ready until at least next month," Kei felt bad that she couldn't help him more.

Cilan only shrugged, "Oh well."

"How's the training with Piccolo going?"

"Good, but that crazy bastard really pushes me to my limits. I was able to lift a mountaintop the other day."

She looked surprised at that, "Really? Wow! What's he going to make you lift next?"

"Nothing, he's saying now that I can lift something that size, I just need to work on getting complete focus. He's teaching me some meditation techniques for that."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get that down. You seem like the kind of guy that can do anything if you put your mind to it," she offered him a smile.

He only nodded before he ate his second sandwich. They ate in silence as they watched the news; when it went to a commercial, the remote that was sitting on the armrest floated to Cilan's hand, and then began to channel surf. He stopped on a documentary on Cell. Cilan was told about all about him by Goku and the other fighters, but he still wanted to know more about that biomechanical monster.

Cilan was listening intently to the broadcast, until he heard a sniffle next to him. When he looked over to Kei, he saw there were tears in her eyes. "What's wrong? Do you want me to change it to something else?"

"No, don't." She wiped the tears away, "It's just that seeing Cell again reminds me how scared we all were during that time. My father was on active duty then, and the only person with me was my mom. When she was with me, I always felt safe with her.

"Now that she's gone, I can't get over how much I miss her, and I'll never feel as safe again." She looked at him, "You never get over it do you?"

"No," his voice was low. "You try to live your life and move on, but you can't ever forget about them. You just have to learn to live with it."

Kei nodded and went back to eating, while Cilan drank his beer. He wasn't paying attention to the television; instead he was thinking that he still needed to say something more to her. After setting the beer bottle on the coffee table, he looked at her from his peripheral vision and came to a decision, "I still dream about the day my mom died."

Kei looked at him surprised, "You do?"

"Yes," he closed his eyes and forced himself to reveal more. "Usually I'm back as a ten year old arguing with my mother before she knocks me out; or I'm an adult and seeing it from a third perspective. In both cases I can't stop her, and the ship blows up with her in it. Then I wake up."

"Is that why you're up early sometimes?"

He only nodded while he reached for the beer bottle. Kei scooted next to him and placed a hand on his stopping him. "Do you blame yourself that she died?"

Cilan said nothing, so she continued, "She sacrificed herself because she loved you and didn't want you to die."

"I know," he remembered her last words to him. "But I guess I still miss her."

She offered him a small smile, "I guess we're two messed up people."

Cilan smirked, "I don't know about you, but I'm well adjusted."

"Oh sure, Mr. Gloomy alien ex-soldier that likes to dress up in black and skulk around at night," she retorted with her own smirk.

"Completely normal," he tried keeping his face neutral. That only caused her to laugh, and punched him lightly on the arm.

She was going to say something else when she let out a loud yawn, "I guess I'm really tired."

"Go get some sleep. I'll wash up," Cilan picked up the dishes, and went back to the kitchen. He was at the sink about to clean, when he felt Kei behind him. He looked over at her and before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around him.

"I just wanted to thank you for coming with me today."

Cilan turned himself around and wrapped one arm around her to give a light squeeze He tried to ignore how warm she felt pressed against him, "It was nothing, just paying you back when I got drunk."

"No," she drew back enough to face him. "It meant a lot to me for you to be there."

He was going to say something else to play it off, but then he saw the look on her face. Her big green eyes were warm, and she smiled sweetly at him. It was then he felt something tugging in his chest, and his face inched closer to hers. She didn't move away and held her breath.

When his face was a hairs breath away, the phone in his pocket rang. He stepped back, snapped out of his daze, and reached for his phone. Recognizing the number as Capsule Corp., he answered, "Yeah?" A short pause, "She's here."

Cilan handed the phone to Kei, "It's your aunt."

"Hello? What? I'm fine. I just went there for a check-up," she covered the mouthpiece and whispered to him, "A friend of hers works at that hospital."

She put the phone back to her ear, "No, there's nothing wrong. No, I'm not pregnant!"

He decided at that point to make himself scarce.

* * *

_April 15th, Age 777_

The rays of the morning sun filtered into Cilan's room as he sat cross-legged on the floor with his eyes closed. His mind was trying to concentrate on every object within the apartment building. Piccolo had told him that he could focus his telekinetic powers to a point where he could sense anyone and anything; his only limit would be his mind. The namekian had also told him he could also use his powers in the microscopic field, meaning if he concentrated enough, he could affect things at a molecular level. That was still a ways off, but he did try at times.

At the moment however, his mind couldn't attain focus. Someone was distracting him, that person being Kei. Ever since February, she had managed to get into his thoughts when he let it wander. She was also appearing in his dreams. He used to dream about being with Milla again on the Independence. This time though, instead of Milla waiting for him, it was Kei. He rationalized it that it was just his primal urges affecting his subconscious, as he hadn't slept with a woman for a long time. Kei was just a natural substitute.

He could have trained away all this frustration, but the minute Bulma finally finished getting the reactor working on Capsule #3, Vegeta laid claim to it, stating that the strongest saiyan should use it first. Cilan had naturally disagreed, and the two decided to spar for it. That resulted in the saiyan prince getting first dibs on the machine and the ex-soldier earning three bruised ribs, and ego. Bulma had promised that she would put another reactor in the other gravity room, so Vegeta could use that instead; that left Cilan training out in the desert again and letting his mind wander to Bulma's cousin.

That was another problem, he recognized the desire on her face when he was about to kiss Kei. He was wrong about her; apparently he was her type, as he caught her looking at him sometimes, though she didn't catch him when he looked at her. It was hard not admit she was beautiful, and he was a man, but he convinced himself what he felt was just purely based on lust. Cilan wasn't sure on what she wanted, because a relationship wouldn't work out. He still planned on leaving the Earth after his training was done. Though his mind kept reminding him he had nowhere else to go. Even if he did decide on staying permanently, he wasn't sure what he could offer her.

Cilan shook his head; he couldn't concentrate and decided on taking a break. He stood up and went to the kitchen to get a beer from the fridge. When he reached the living room, he found the source of his distractions.

Kei had pushed the coffee table to the side and was on the floor in front of the television laying flat on her back, doing leg lifts. She was dressed in a light blue tube top and matching yoga pants. The tube top exposed her taught tummy and was tight around her chest, both of which he couldn't stop looking at.

She smiled when he stopped to look at her, "Good morning Cilan."

"Morning," he glanced away from her to the television which was showing a program he recognized. "Wide-Thigh Aerobics?"

"Their exercises keep my body in-shape." She smiled coyly at him, "You should know, you stare at it every chance you get."

That caused the saiyan to blush, "Uh..."

"It's ok, Cilan. I don't mind," she winked at him. He said nothing and went straight for the kitchen. All she could do was giggle, her aunt was right; the gloomy saiyan did look cute when he was flustered. She couldn't catch him, but she felt his eyes on her whenever she was dressed for a workout. Normally, she would have been disgusted by that, but she didn't mind with Cilan. Unlike the perverts she's dealt with before, he always gave off as being uninterested in anything. So if he found her that desirable, then maybe there was more than he let on.

Kei was surprised when he almost kissed her on the day of her exam, but she was disappointed he didn't try again. Cilan didn't talk about it afterwards, and she didn't want to ask. Whatever that was, it was something Cilan would have to open up and talk about. In the meantime, she'd still playfully flirt with him.

Cilan reappeared a minute later with a beer in hand and making a beeline for his room. She called out to him, "Bulma called me earlier. She said she needed you down at CC for some guard work today."

"Great," he muttered. "Have to wear a suit again."

"She said you can dress casually."

"Well that's good," he replied before emptying the bottle in one gulp and it floated away to the recycling bin.

* * *

Cilan was in hell, or what felt like it. The 'guard duty' turned out for him to chaperone Bulma to the mall. She had invited Kei to go along as well, and had met-up with Gohan and Videl there. He should have known something was amiss when Trunks looked at him sadly at CC; he only began to suspect something when Vegeta grinned at him. He at first thought it'd be a quick trip and they'd be done in under an hour. Instead it stretched into several, with Cilan growing impatient by the minute.

"They'll be done soon," Gohan tried to reassure Cilan. Both saiyans sat on a bench just outside one of the numerous department stores the girls had visited.

"You said that an hour ago," grumbled Cilan as he sat back on the bench.

"You could just leave."

"Thought about it, but if anything happened to Bulma, and I wasn't there to stop it, Vegeta would kill me."

Gohan was about to disagree when he thought about it for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, he would."

Cilan checked his watch for the umpteenth time, wondering when the madness would end. It wasn't enough that he was wasting time being stuck there, but that the girls kept asking him for his opinion. He barely had enough sense to dress half-way decently, let alone know anything about fashion.

"How's the training with Piccolo been going?" Gohan asked after checking his own watch.

"The guy is a brutal bastard," Cilan smirked. "But he's helped me tremendously."

"Yeah, when he trained me for the fight against Vegeta, he was completely ferocious. I'm still surprised I survived that year. It did help me become a fighter though."

Cilan only nodded in understanding, he then saw that the girls were in line waiting to pay for their clothes. Gohan caught sight of Videl and waved to her, "I'm thinking of finally proposing to her, it's been three years since we met. I'm just not sure if she'll say yes."

"She will," Cilan replied as he was on his phone finding something to occupy his time with.

"You think so?" Gohan looked at him his face hopeful.

Cilan nodded not looking from the phone screen, "Any woman that's willing to dress up in that Saiyaman costume and do those stupid poses will likely not refuse to get married."

"Very funny," he replied while rolling his eyes. He then caught sight of Kei looking at Cilan. Gohan smirked, "So what's been going on between you and Kei?"

The ex-soldier put his phone down to frown at Gohan, "Nothing's been going on. I told you already, she's just my friend."

"Is that so? What about last week, when we were at the club and you were scaring off any guy that tried to approach Kei?"

"For her safety," Cilan replied with his arms crossed. "Bulma wanted me to protect her, so I had to make sure nobody potentially dangerous would get close to her."

"Uh-huh," Gohan replied in his most disbelieving tone.

Inside the department store the girls were near the front of the checkout line while carrying various clothes. Kei looked over to where the guys sat, before she looked back to the other two, "Are we going to be done soon? Cilan looks pretty frustrated."

"He'll be fine; it's his job to be here." Bulma answered in a dismissive tone.

"If you say so, but maybe we can go for lunch after we're done here? That should ease his mood."

Videl had been watching her, and finally decided to ask her what she had been wondering, "Kei, do you like Cilan?"

Kei jerked her head back to the brunette, "What? No, he's just my friend."

"Then what about last Friday? When we were at the Starlight, you kept showing up at Cilan's side whenever a girl showed any interest in him and drove them away."

"I was doing it for his own good," Kei huffed. "Most of those girls were skanks. He needs to be with a nice girl who'll treat him right."

"And that would be you?" Videl asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes... I mean someone like me." The redhead's face tinged at her slip-up.

The brunette only smirked, "Just admit it. You're not fooling us."

"Even if I do, it doesn't mean he feels the same way."

"What makes you say that?" Bulma had been listening to the other two and decided to join in. She had been on the sidelines watching her cousin and Cilan and wanted to let things go on their own course.

"Well, he hasn't said anything about wanting to be in another relationship."

"So? Guys like him won't say what they really feel; you have to go by his actions."

Kei thought about that for a moment, "He does seem to like to look at me at times."

"So he finds you attractive, what else?"

"He's more relaxed when he's alone with me. He doesn't act all cold as he does in public."

"That means he trusts you enough to lower his guard around you," Bulma hid a smile. "There has to be more."

"Well..." Kei was hesitant for a moment, "Two months ago, after I came back from the hospital."

Videl interrupted, "Hospital?"

She nodded, "It was for a brain scan. My mother died from an aneurysm, and I've been testing myself yearly to prevent it from happening to me."

The brunette nodded in understanding, having lost her own mother years before.

"After we got back home, we were talking, and he helped me when I was feeling down about myself." Kei smiled remembering, "I gave him a hug to thank him, and then in the next moment he was going to kiss me."

"Did he?" Bulma asked.

The redhead shook her head, "No, my aunt called right before he was able to. He didn't talk about it later, and I didn't want to push the issue."

"That answers that, he likes you," the blue haired scientist said with a triumphant smile.

"Are you sure? Cilan could just be looking for a pure physical relationship."

Bulma shook her head, "Kei, I'll let you in on a secret. Thirty percent of Capsule Corp.'s employees are female. Half of them are single, and some have been doing their best in getting Cilan's attention since I hired him. So far he's rejected every single one of them. "

"Really?"

She nodded, but her face turned solemn, "But Kei, what do you really feel about him?"

Kei looked down, her face unreadable as she thought about that question. She didn't have regular relationships when she was younger, as she was moved from base to base due to her father's deployment schedule. When she was able to date, her preference had been to guys similar to Gohan; smart, but sweet. In college she was able to date regularly, but never really seemed to connect with the men she went out with. She decided to put dating on hold so she could focus on her degree.

At first she saw Cilan as some muscle head, though she realized he wasn't training to be superior to everyone else. He was a soldier who wanted to be prepared for any form of danger. The saiyan was also not dumb, he didn't fall asleep when she explained things about her career path, and he knew how to pilot a spaceship. He also knew how to cut a deal with her cousin to get a cushy life on Earth. Cilan did have his faults; he didn't like sharing his feelings, and had a stubbornness streak at times. Though he was a good listener, and didn't seem to mind helping her.

Kei then thought about what she really felt for the introverted saiyan. Despite his gloominess, she did find him handsome. She also knew underneath his melancholy persona, he was actually nice. The redhead also had to admit to herself that she actually felt a flutter in her heart about him after he almost kissed her. She could also admit she did get jealous when other women were trying to get his attention. Finally, she thought about her life so far with Cilan. Despite some rocky moments, she actually liked being his friend, and would like to see how a relationship would work with him.

She looked up and smiled at Bulma, "He's not Mr. Perfect, but that's why I like him."

"Good, all you need to do now is tell him."

Kei frowned at that, "What if he doesn't feel the same?"

The blue haired scientist smirked at her cousin, "Then you can move on and make him regret that decision."

Before Kei could respond, the cashier called them up.

Outside Cilan sat by himself on the bench, Gohan went to the restroom. He looked up into the malls skylight and into the blue sky above. He was contemplating his power since attaining full power of his super saiyan form. His ki had jumped considerably, which Piccolo and Goku commented on. There was also something else Cilan felt, when he powered up to his full power; he felt a barrier that was stopping him from going further, but something was compelling him to push himself beyond it. Goku had told him it might be the second level of super saiyan that he was trying to break into.

If that were the case, he needed to figure out a way to break that barrier. Gohan did it by unleashing his rage after Cell destroyed Android 16; Goku did it in the afterlife from extensive training. He wasn't sure how Vegeta did it; he hadn't asked him as he was still pissed that that prince took Capsule #3.

'I have plenty of time anyway', he thought before getting up. The girls were done and leaving the store, and he made his way to them, hoping it would be the last store they visited. That was when he heard a feminine voice call out to him.

"Well hello again handsome."

Cilan turned to see a young woman dressed in a white mini dress and black stilettos shoes. Standing at 5'8'' she had shoulder length blonde hair, light brown eyes, tanned skin, and long legs. The dress was tight and showed off her hips and large bust. She was carrying small black purse.

"Candy?" He almost didn't recognize her. She looked different in natural lighting and wearing something other than just panties and glitter.

That made her smile, "That's just my stage name. Call me Stacey."

"Stacey, what brings you by here?" He was on edge with her around. The saiyan wasn't sure how Kei would react to her.

"Just finding new things to wear for my act," she stepped up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why haven't you called or come back to the club?"

"I've been busy."

"Oh, I thought you might have been avoiding me," she fluttered her eyelashes. "Want to catch up over lunch?"

Before Cilan could answer, Kei had walked up to him and placed an arm around him. "Who's your friend sweetie?

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow; she only smiled sweetly at him. When he was about to ask what she was doing, he noticed Stacey removed her hand off his shoulder and took a step back. Catching on quickly, he put his own hand around Kei's waist and pressed her close, while putting on a fake smile. "This is Stacey, dear. The dancer from the club I told you about."

If Kei knew he was talking about Candy, she didn't show it, as her smile never faltered. She struck her free hand out to the blonde, "I'm Kei, how nice to meet you."

Stacey gave the redhead a tight smile while she gave her a small handshake and scrutinized her. Kei was wearing a cream colored sundress, with matching shoes and handbag. Her hair long dark auburn hair flowed around her. The stripper looked back to Cilan, "She would be?"

"His girlfriend," Kei answered.

"Is this true?"

Cilan caught a look of hurt in Stacey's eyes, but nodded. "Yep, we met each other in August. That's why I haven't been back."

"Oh," the blonde voice was low then she turned her attention Kei. "You're lucky."

"I know," the redhead put her head on his shoulder.

"Well I have to go," Stacey began to step away. "Maybe I can see you sometime at the club Cilan?"

"Maybe," he answered with a nod, while Kei pinched his sides. The blonde nodded and walked away.

When she was out of earshot, Cilan looked into Kei's frowning face. "What?"

"Maybe?" Repeating his answer.

"I was just being polite," he grumbled.

Her frown disappeared, "Good."

"How did you come up with the girlfriend angle?"

"I saw you when you mouthed the name Candy, and just assumed it was her. I could tell you were getting worried."

"Thanks. How can I repay you?"

Kei thought about for a moment, "Buy me dinner tonight?"

Cilan nodded, "Sure."

She smiled and took his hand to lead him back to the others.

* * *

It was around 9 o'clock when Cilan and Kei stepped out of the restaurant. It was a noodle house that Gohan and Videl recommended, as it had an all you could eat meal for the saiyan. It wasn't a formal restaurant, but one tailored to the college crowd. Cilan was dressed in his black jeans, a white button shirt, and a dark blue denim jacket. Kei wore a light red blouse, and a navy blue skirt.

Their dinner was pleasant. They talked mainly about how she was doing in her current semester. By the end of the term she would earn enough credits to get her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, and would start an internship with Capsule Corp. in the summer. She wanted to talk about her feelings, but it didn't feel right to her to bring it up; she still wanted to be absolutely sure what Cilan felt about her.

When the cool spring air hit Kei, she shivered. Cilan noticed, "You're cold?"

She nodded, "I should have worn a jacket."

The saiyan shrugged out of his jacket, "Here."

"No, I'm fine." She began to protest.

"I can handle the cold," he replied and put it over her.

She decided to not argue further and wrapped around herself, "Thanks, you're such a gentleman."

"Don't mention it."

They walked down the sidewalk, going in no particular direction. Cilan looked straight ahead, while Kei stole glances at him. She had the capsule to her air car in her purse, but didn't take it out. "Hey Cilan."

He turned to look at her, "Yeah?"

"I don't feel like driving, do you mind flying us home?"

He looked at her for a beat, and then nodded, "Sure."

They looked around the street to be sure it was empty. Kei wrapped an arm around Cilan's neck, while he lifted her legs with one arm and supported her back with the other, and then they took off. Cilan flew over the city slowly so the wind wouldn't whip Kei's hair into his face. They flew in silence, with Cilan looking ahead in the direction of their apartment. Kei would glance at the city below, and to the sky above.

The light pollution from the city still blocked most of the stars in the sky, but she still liked looking at the ones still visible. She would also look at Cilan's face; at the angle she was at she could note his jutting jaw and stony face. She could also smell the scent of the aftershave he used.

Cilan's mind was thinking of the woman he was holding. All throughout the dinner he thought about the way she pretended to be his girlfriend to drive off Stacey. Even though they were acting, it felt right. It was then he noticed that his chest had the tugging sensation from before, and the feelings he had were the same he had for Milla.

That didn't sit well for him, as he wasn't looking for love again. After Milla, he never sought out another relationship and stayed alone. He wondered why it was different with Kei. 'Is it because she's my friend?'

Milla was his friend at first, before they became lovers. It was then he wondered if he should pursue it, he entertained the idea, but a part of him wondered if it would betray Milla. He mentally shook his head at that, he slept with other women after her death, but those were one night stands that only fulfilled his physical needs. Milla would tell him he was being a coward; she would have been right, and she would have wanted him to move on and find some happiness. The only obstacle left was his fear that if he did have a relationship with Kei, that she could die. From an aneurysm or any other natural cause that he wouldn't be able to stop; he didn't know how he could handle it if that should occur.

Kei saw Cilan brooding, "What's wrong?"

He looked at her, and quickly masked his thoughts, "Just thinking about tomorrow's training."

"Oh," she said before looking back up into the night sky. Then she let out a, "Wow!"

He looked at her, "What?"

"I just saw a shooting star!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! They say if you make a wish when you see one, it comes true."

"What did you wish for?"

"I can't say, or it won't come true," she smiled, not wanting to reveal that she wished for a certain saiyan to feel the same way she did.

"Convenient," he smirked. Things quieted down again, they were still a few minutes from home. During dinner Kei had a couple of glasses of wine and felt the effects of it, her eyelids were becoming heavy, but fought to stay awake, "Cilan."

"Yeah?"

"You remember what I told you about not feeling safe without my mother around?"

"Yes," he answered quietly.

"I feel safe around you now, I hope you never leave," she let out a yawn.

He looked at her, and found her asleep. When they arrived at the apartment, he tried waking her with no success. The balcony doors slid open and he landed in the living room. He carried her to her room, while the door to it opened by itself and the lights turned on. Her room was filled with bookshelves with various mechanical textbooks. She also had a desk with notes on it and pictures of her family and friends. What Cilan focused on was her bed, where he laid her down. He left the jacket on her, while he removed her shoes.

After tucking her in with her blanket he turned around for the door, that's when she called out to him softly, "Cilan."

He turned back to look at her wondering if she woke up. Instead she was just talking in her sleep.

'She's dreaming about me,' he concluded while he looked at her sleeping form. He crouched next to her bed so he could watch her; she called out his name again and wrapped his jacket around her tighter, a smile on her lips. The tugging sensation in his chest returned as he tucked away her hair from her face. He cupped her chin and ran a thumb on her cheek, feeling how soft her pale skin was.

Cilan drew his face closer to hers while his nose detected the scent of the perfume she used. When he was inches from her face, he was stopping himself from meeting her lips, afraid of the consequences of giving in. He closed his eyes and let out a breath, before he moved his face up and kissed her on the forehead. After standing back up and shaking his head, he looked at her one more time before he turned to leave. He turned off the lights and gently closed the door behind him.

Once it closed, Kei opened her eyes and sat up while she frowned at the door.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away from West City, in the forest, two hunters were climbing up a hill. Both were men, dressed in flannel, blue jeans, and wearing orange vests. The taller one carried a high-powered rifle, while the shorter one carried a shotgun.

"Do we really need to be out here at this hour, Dwight?"Asked the shorter man.

"Yes Steve," answered the taller man. "That meteorite crashed into the valley. We need to check it out."

"It's almost 10; can't we check it out in the morning?"

"Are you kidding? We need to see it now before everyone else comes to investigate. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back in the nice warm cabin," muttered Steve.

"We'll be back there soon."

Both men reached the top of the hill and looked down into the valley. The earth was scorched by a mile long track. At the end of it was a massive crater that formed on the other end of the valley. The two hunters raced down towards the crater. When they reached it, they found an off-white sphere with a red tinted circular glass.

"What the hell is this?" Dwight asked out loud while he looked down into the crater.

"It looks like one of those space ships that landed in East City 15 years ago," Steve replied with a slight tremor in his voice. "This could be an invasion, we should go back!"

"Really? If it was an invasion, there should be more of them," the taller man replied before he climbed down into the crater to make his way to the pod.

"What are you doing?" The smaller man panicked, "We should leave and call the authorities."

"Don't be so scared," Dwight was next to the pod while he held his rifle, and fished a flashlight from his pocket. When he turned it on, its yellow light illuminated the crater. He pointed at the pod looking to see if there was an opening. The hunter nearly dropped it when he looked through the red window, "Holy shit!"

"What!"

"There's somebody in here!"

"It's an alien, come back up here!"

"Would you quit whining, and come help me," Dwight slung his rifle and ran a free hand around the sphere to find an opening mechanism. Finding none, he put the flashlight in his mouth, and raised his rifle again then used the butt of it to strike at the pod. On the third strike, the pod door opened enough for Dwight to pry it further with his rifle. By this time Steve reached the space ship.

"It's an alien, isn't it? We're being invaded?" Steve asked with his shotgun at the ready.

"Yeah, an invasion of alien bodybuilders," Dwight replied sarcastically as he shined his flashlight into the pod. Inside it was a man with black hair, and wearing nothing but white flowing pants, with a red sash around it.

"Is he dead?" The shorter hunter asked, his mind confused at what he was witnessing.

Dwight didn't reply, but placed two fingers on the mystery man's neck, "It's faint, but he has a pulse. Help me get him out of here."

"Shouldn't we call a ranger?"

"We can do that tomorrow," Dwight replied while he began to pull out the person from the space ship. "Now come on, this guy is heavy."

Steve slung his shotgun and helped his friend. When they managed to get the man out into the open, the person didn't open his eyes, but uttered a single word, "Kakkarot."

To be continued.


	12. Sad But True

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_April 16__th__, Age 777_

The rays from the midday sun shined down on a log cabin in the forest. It was a mile from the landing spot of the space pod. Inside it were three men, two were hunters, while one was unconscious. Steve and Dwight were trying to figure out who the mystery person was.

"Who is this guy?" Steve asked outside the door of the room the man slept in for the night.

"I don't know, he has no identification on him," Dwight replied.

"Military?"

"I have a cousin in the Royal Navy, they don't regularly send out soldiers in pods half-naked with no identification, and wearing gold jewelry."

"Rich daredevil?"

Dwight opened his mouth to dismiss that idea until he thought about it, "Maybe."

"Kakkarot," the man muttered in his sleep.

"All he keeps is asking for is carrots," muttered the taller hunter.

"We should really call in a ranger," Steve said while looking at the unconscious man.

"We need to wake this guy up and get some answers," Dwight walked off to another room. A minute later he walked back with a first-aid kit. He opened it up and looked through its contents until he found a small vial.

"What's that?" Asked the shorter hunter.

"Smelling salts," the taller hunter replied while he entered the room. He opened the vial and placed the opening under the unconscious man's nose. The ammonium carbonate did its work by entering the nostrils, causing them to flare. It only took moments for the solution to work, and the man's eyes shot open and sat up.

Both hunters expected the man to ask questions, such as where he was. Instead he looked past them, and focused his mind on all the ki signatures on the planet. He focused on one, a familiar one. When he found it, he yelled out, "KAKKAROT!"

He was engulfed in yellow ki, the explosion of so much power exploded outward demolishing the cabin. The familiar ki caught the attention of the Earth fighters.

* * *

On the Lookout, Piccolo sat among the plants deep in his meditation. Cilan didn't show up for his daily training, as the saiyan contacted him earlier saying that Bulma needed him at Capsule Corp. The namekian had grumbled once about the blue haired scientist interrupting their training. Cilan remarked that he could take up the issue with her. Piccolo decided to let it go, as he didn't really feel like starting an argument with her.

His mind was wandering the spiritual plane when Broly's ki flared. With eye's bulged out, he couldn't believe the insane saiyan was still alive. Dende was at his side when he stood up.

"Who… Who is that?" The young namekian asked startled at what he was sensing.

"Broly."

"That's Broly!" The young guardian asked astonished. "So much evil."

"You don't know the half of it," Piccolo prepared to leave.

"Be careful Piccolo."

The older namekian gave Dende a single nod, and then took off.

* * *

Vegeta was training in Capsule #3 at 800 times gravity. He had made extensive use of the machine since confiscating it from Cilan. The prince smirked remembering the day he beat the younger saiyan for it. The training bots went unused as he was beyond their use.

He was in the middle of a series of kicks, when the insane saiyan's ki exploded in the distance. His face was in open shock as he looked in the direction of Broly.

'That's impossible,' he remembered the open fear he felt when he first saw the legendary's true power. Vegeta shook his then, reminding himself that was the old Vegeta, when he was weak, 'Can't let him win, too much to lose now.'

After shutting down the machine, he stepped out of the Capsule, only to find Trunks outside already in his battle gi.

"Dad!"

"I know," he replied while he searched for Bulma's weak ki; she was inside the Arkbird. "Is your mother going to be in that ship all day?"

His son nodded.

"Good, don't let her see you fly off," the last thing he needed was for her to show up at the battlefield. Trunks went to the front of building while Vegeta went quickly back into the compound for his armor. A minute later, the prince was in his armor ready for battle and took off with his son in the direction of Broly.

* * *

The residents of the Son home sat down for lunch. When the three saiyans were going on their fifth bowl of rice did they feel they power of Broly flare in the distance. All three dropped their chopsticks.

"That can't be Broly!" Gohan exclaimed to his father. Goku could only nod in astonishment.

"Dad, didn't he die on New Vegeta?" Goten asked.

"He was supposed to," the elder saiyan closed his eyes while he focused on Broly. "He's east of West City. Piccolo, Vegeta, and Trunks are already on their way to him."

Goku opened his eyes and looked back at both his sons, "You two get changed and head for the others, they'll need the backup."

"What about you, dad?" The older brother asked.

"I'm going to pick up Cilan."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"He's been training consistently since he first arrived. His mental powers might help us," Goku smiled. "Besides, he'll show up anyway."

Gohan nodded and turned away to go to his room for his Saiyaman watch. Goten followed to get his gi. Goku already was dressed in his own gi, so he placed two fingers on his forehead and was about to leave. It was then he caught sight of his wife glaring at him; his face fell, ready for her to yell at him. Chi Chi had her arms crossed and glared at him for several moments. Her face softened and simply said, "Come back in one piece, ok?"

Goku nodded solemnly, and disappeared.

* * *

Cilan was flying to his apartment. He was coming back from the mountains after trying to train in the morning. The ex-soldier lied to Piccolo about having to work with Bulma today; he just wanted to be alone. After putting Kei to bed the night before, he couldn't sleep as he was having dreams of his own about the redhead. Her confession about wanting the saiyan to never leave her played on his mind too much. Knowing it was pointless to try and sleep again; he showered early in the morning and went off to the nearest mountain range to train his body and mind.

He had to return home early as he missed breakfast and his stomach made too much noise to ignore it. The saiyan landed on the balcony of his apartment and entered in the living room. He felt Kei's ki on his way back, so he put on his normal glowering face and suppressed his emotions. Cilan still believed that Kei was asleep and didn't feel the kiss, so he'd pretend nothing happened.

Upon entering the kitchen he found Kei sitting at the table drinking iced tea and reading a magazine.

"Good morning Cilan," she greeted coolly.

"Morning," he returned gruffly as he stuck his head in the fridge. Kei watched him, debating with herself if she should confront him about last night. Cilan sat at the table with a tray of left over lasagna and a glass of iced tea. He dug in, and Kei pretended to be reading her magazine. When he finished off the dish and began to drink the flavored beverage, she looked at him in the eye, "Why didn't you kiss me on the lips?"

Cilan nearly spat out the tea, after swallowing it down he looked at her surprised. "What?"

"Last night, you kissed me on the forehead, when you really wanted to kiss me on the lips."

"Weren't you asleep?" Cilan didn't bother denying.

"I was, but I woke up when I felt your hand on my face. I also felt your breath on my face, and you hesitated before you kissed my forehead."

He looked down at his hands as they sat on the table, trying to come up with a good excuse, it was then Kei placed a hand on his. He looked up to her open face, "Please drop your mask and be honest with me."

Cilan looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Mask?"

"The one where you want people to think you have a heart of stone."

He pulled his hands away from her before crossing his arms, "What do you want from me Kei?"

She frowned at him as he withdrew from her, "I want you to be honest with me. I like you Cilan, and I know you feel something for me, but you're pretending you don't."

Cilan tried to ignore how his heart felt when she confessed her feelings, and tried to let her down gently, "I…"

"Please be honest," she interrupted him. "I'm your friend."

He looked at her for a few moments, debating himself what to tell her. When he was finally going to tell her, he felt the strange ki in the distance. Forgetting about their conversation, he concentrated on the mysterious power.

Kei had waited patiently for his answer, and grew impatient when she saw his attention diverted, "Cilan?"

He looked back at her, "Something's wrong, there's an unknown power far away from here."

She looked at him in disbelief, "I can't believe you're lying to me instead of telling me the truth."

"I'm not lying," he was trying not to get angry at not being believed. That was when he felt Vegeta and Trunks ki flying off in the direction of the unknown power.

Right before Kei could respond, Goku had shown up in the kitchen. He felt the tension between the two, "Should I come back later?"

Cilan looked at the elder saiyan, "What's going on? Who does that ki belong to?"

"Broly."

"What!" Cilan's face was in open shock as if he heard the sun was about to blow up. "I thought he was dead."

"We don't know how he survived, but he's here. We might need your help, you ready to come along?"

Cilan's nodded before he looked back at Kei, "I need to go. We'll talk later."

Kei was starting to worry about the possible danger he was running off to, but nodded once, "Ok."

He returned the nod and pressed the button on his watch to change from his civilian clothes to his combat suit. Once he checked he had all his gear, he placed a hand on Goku's shoulder. Giving her one last look, they both disappeared in a flash, leaving Kei alone in the kitchen.

* * *

Vegeta was in his Super Saiyan 2 form and slugging it out with Broly in the air. Piccolo was on the ground, bruised and battered; Trunks was at his side.

"Still call yourself the prince of all saiyan's, scum?" Broly taunted as he moved out of the way of a flying kick. He was still in the first super form and easily keeping pace with the older saiyan.

"You still a raging psychopath?" Vegeta retorted while ducking a clothesline.

"Admit it weakling, I should be the true ruler of all the saiyan's," Broly launched a hailstorm of green ki balls.

"The saiyan's are a dead race, we're all that's left," Vegeta dodged the energy attack as best as he could.

"After I destroy you and Kakkarot, and blow away this dirtball, I'll be the only one left and I will show the universe the true terror of a Saiyan."

"Like I'll let you live past today," Vegeta snorted before he disappeared. He reappeared above Broly with his left arm outstretched. His plam collected blue ki into a sphere, and then he yelled out, "Big Bang Attack!"

The ki ball launched from his hand and flew towards Broly, when it impacted a massive explosion erupted from it, lighting up the entire area. The light lasted for a few moments, and once it died down it left behind a mushroom cloud.

Before the saiyan prince could even smirk in victory, a laugh was heard, "That's the best you can do?"

Broly continued laughing and the black cloud was blown away by his massive ki. Vegeta was about fire another when Goku and Cilan showed up.

Upon seeing him, Broly's ki flared and charged at him, "KAKKAROT!"

Goku transformed immediately to his second Super Saiyan form and dodged Broly's fists, while managing to deliver a kick into his sides. It didn't faze him and swung a backhand at Goku, who managed to block it. Broly then fired off dozens of ki balls at him. Goku cancel them out with his own ki attack. Both saiyan continued matching each other.

Cilan was watching the battle a distance away. He wanted to help out, but Goku wouldn't want him to interfere. It also was surprising to see his father was still alive, he wondered if he could stop him and try and reason with him. The ex-soldier shook his head, remembering the destruction Broly left on the southern galaxy.

Gohan and Goten showed up just then; the younger brother went to the ground where Piccolo and Trunks was. The older brother powered up and went straight for Broly. Gohan blindsided him with a fierce punch to the side of his face, sending Broly away. Turning to Goku, "Dad, I'll handle him."

Instead of being in his Saiyaman suit, Gohan instead wore the orange gi that Kibito made for him years back. He regarded Broly with a smirk on his face, "It's been a long time since our last fight."

Broly stood there glaring at Gohan, his anger boiling that the younger saiyan dared to be to stronger than him. He threw his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs as a yellow ki flared around him. The skies darkened and the area shook from the power. When things quieted down, Broly was twice his size and he was surrounded by an eerie green aura of ki and his eyes were completely white.

Gohan didn't waste time; he powered up further and flew at Broly. His fist again connected with the legendary's face, but Broly only grunted before sending his own fist into Gohan's sides. It hurt, but the younger saiyan rode through it before he used his right leg to kick at Broly's head. That was blocked before Broly grabbed it, and then swung Gohan away. He followed that up by firing numerous ki balls after him. Gohan righted himself and fired twin blasts to cancel out the attack.

Both saiyans flew at each other, their fists drawn. When they collided their punches sounded like boulders crashing against each other. This went on for several minutes; they were evenly matched with the other. Gohan kept pushing his powers further, as Broly's power was slowly increasing.

While they were trying to one-up the other Goku and Vegeta were off to the side watching the fight.

"I don't get it. Gohan was able to dominate Buu, but he's barely matched with that psycho," Vegeta grumbled with his arms crossed.

"He hasn't trained much since Buu was defeated," Goku admitted. "He's been studying all this time."

Vegeta snorted, "What a surprise. Have you been slacking off too?"

"No, I still train daily," Goku turned to him. "What are you thinking?"

"At the rate this is going Gohan will be overwhelmed. You'll need to go to level 3 to defeat Broly. Can you still transform to that state?"

"I haven't done it in a while, but I still can. I just need some time to focus my ki."

"How much time do you need?" Cilan asked as he stood behind both men.

They turned to him in shock that he had gotten behind them without notice. Vegeta was not pleased, "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," Cilan faced Goku. "How much?"

"5 minutes at most," he scratched the back of his head.

Cilan nodded, "I'll buy you time."

"But he's too strong for you," Goku was trying to reason with the ex-soldier.

Had he had his mask off, Cilan would have smirked, "I'll just distract him for a bit."

Drawing his beam sword, the young saiyan transformed into his super mode and jumped into the fray. Broly was too busy fighting with Gohan to notice the new attacker. When Cilan swung the sword, Broly barely had time to move out of the way of it.

Broly kicked him hard in the chest that sent him away. Cilan grunted while suppressing the pain that he felt. Clamping down on the soreness, he faced Broly again and charged at him, one hand firing ki blasts, while holding his sword high to swing again.

The blasts were easily dodged and Broly moved out of the way of the incoming slash attack and was preparing another kick. Instead Cilan anticipated that, and pushed himself away at the last moment out of the kick's range. That angered the legendary and chased after the ex-soldier.

'What are you doing Cilan?' Gohan mentally asked.

Cilan jumped over an oncoming clothesline before replying, 'Buying your dad time to go to level 3.'

'I can handle Broly on my own.'

'You could barely fight him,' Cilan retorted as tried to parry a punch.

'You're not doing any better.'

'I'm just distracting him. Take a minute to recuperate and you can fight him again.'

Gohan thought it over, 'Ok.'

On the ground, Piccolo finally was able to get on his feet. Shaking his head from the concussions he suffered he looked up and saw the battle going on.

"How long was I out?" Piccolo asked to both the saiyan children.

"We just got here a few minutes ago," Trunks replied.

"Big brother and Cilan is fighting that Broly guy," Goten added in.

The namekian contemplated for a moment before looking down at the kids, "Both you go to Korin Tower to see if they have any senzu's. We're going to need them."

"What!" Both kids yelled in unison.

"You heard me."

"Why are sending us away?" Trunks scowled at the namekian.

"We want to help!" Goten balled his fists.

"You'll only get in the way," Piccolo retorted.

"Not if we fuse," Trunks countered.

The namekian shook his head, "Still wouldn't be enough. He'll tear you apart in seconds. Now go."

Both saiyan children wanted to argue further, but Piccolo's face told them it was futile. Dejected, Goten and Trunks took off and headed for Korin Tower. After they left, Piccolo flew towards Goku and Vegeta, already figuring what was going on.

"I'm guessing Goku's our ace in the hole?" Piccolo found Goku with his arms stretched out and his eyes closed, while Vegeta was watching the fight.

The saiyan prince didn't bother glancing at him, "As usual."

Both remained silent as they watched Gohan take over the fight again.

"Cilan's not strong enough to fight that psycho but he's been able to evade him," Vegeta remarked.

"He's using his mental powers," Piccolo watched Cilan as he stood off to the side in the air waiting to jump back in.

"How much longer, Kakkarot?" Vegeta asked, as he sensed that Broly was near matching Gohan.

Goku didn't open his eyes, "Just a minute more."

Gohan was at his max and connecting his fists and feet with the legendary, but it was becoming apparent to him that they were doing less and less damage to Broly. On the other hand, the punches and kicks that Gohan was blocking were increasingly more powerful. He was about to break off and let Cilan take over again, when a right hook came out of nowhere and hit him cleanly in the jaw.

The impact felt like it loosened some teeth and drew blood from his lips. Broly followed it up by delivering another punch to Gohan's face, and was about to blast him at point blank, when a black knife plunged into his back.

Crying out in pain, Broly pulled the knife out and looked in the direction when it came from. He found Cilan with his palm out motioning for the insane saiyan to attack him. Broly tossed the bloody knife away and scowled at the black-clad figure before charging at him. Cilan fired a ki attack, but it was easily deflected away. The ex-soldier tried dodging again, but found that even with his ki and telekinetic powers; he was now barely able to evade the legendary.

Trying a different tactic, he stopped a few yards away from him and charged another ki attack with one palm, while activating his beam sword behind his back. Broly charged at him at full force, when he was a four feet from him, Cilan launched the attack and swung his sword forward. It was deflected as he expected, but the beam sword didn't cut Broly as he had planned. The beam sword was stopped by a ki barrier that surrounded the legendary; all it did was fizzle against the raw energy.

"Oh fuck," Cilan muttered before his hand wrist was grabbed in a vise like grip by Broly. He twisted the ex-soldiers hand until he dropped the beam sword. Cilan's free hand began to punch at Broly's face, but it felt like he was hitting pure granite. Broly didn't seem fazed at all by the punches and grabbed the other saiyan by the neck.

He said nothing as he used he let go of Cilan's arm and ripped away his mask and balaclava, which he then crushed in his palm and threw away.

"Annoying little cunt," Broly muttered not recognizing Cilan.

"Better than a hulked out lunatic," Cilan gasped out, trying to pry the fingers from around his neck. Broly didn't laugh or smirk, but did slam his fist into the ex-soldier's gut. It felt like being hit by a pair of semi-trucks. After being let out of Broly's grip, Cilan keeled over in pain, before he dropped out of his super mode. It felt as if one or two of ribs were cracked.

The legendary saiyan smashed his fists into Cilan's back with enough force to hurl him into the ground below. He powered up a ki blast and sent it to trail along the ex-soldier; however a second blast intercepted it and cancelled it out.

Gohan had fired the blast and charged at Broly again. The young saiyan launched various punches and kicks at Broly, but to his horror they were being easily dodged, much like their first fight ten years earlier. After throwing a right cross, which was easily dodged, Broly grabbed his arm, and slammed his other fist into Gohan's face several times.

Like Cilan, Gohan tried to pry himself out of the grip but couldn't, instead he delivered body shots with his free arm but had no effect. Broly then powered up a ki blast and placed it in front of the younger saiyans face. Just as he was about to unleash it, an attack was cried out.

"Makankosappo!" Piccolo yelled out as he his fired out two yellow and purple ki beams, one going straight while the other coiled around it.

Broly tossed Gohan away, and disappeared before the beam could hit him. He reappeared and charged for Piccolo. Unfortunately for the namekian he used nearly all of his ki for that attack, and tried to move out of the way, though knowing the futility of it.

As the legendary was about to reach Piccolo, Goku finally was able to focus his ki and began his transformation. The planet shook as his frame got bulkier, and his golden hair began to grow. When it was done, Goku stood in the air his golden ki glowing, and lightning crackling around him, while his long golden hair had grown past his shoulders.

While the Super Saiyan 3 form scared Babidi and fascinated Majin Buu, all it did for Broly was boil him in rage. Seeing the one that had tormented since the day of his birth, grow even stronger just made him see red. Broly's body was consumed by his green ki and yelled out, "KAKKAROT!" And charged at Goku like a raging bull.

Goku disappeared and then reappeared behind the other saiyan to deliver a kick into his back. Broly tumbled in the air for a moment before he righted himself and charged at the Goku again. When he tried a clothesline on him, Goku ducked and slammed a fist into Broly's kidneys. That made the legendary grunt as he felt the pain, and that just made him want to kill Goku more.

Goku's face remained stony, but inside he felt some excitement at finally being able to fight to his limits again. He hadn't felt that way since fighting Majin Buu years before. However, a part told him this wasn't a game and the planet was at stake. Not wasting time in letting Broly take the initiative, Goku flew at him and began to unleash a torrent of punches and kicks.

* * *

Cilan's body lay motionless in the ground, not stirring. After a moment his eyes opened and he stood up from the crater. He wasn't sure how long he was out for, but he looked up into the sky and saw Goku and Broly fighting. Both were in their ultimate forms, and trading punches and kicks. When he tried to power up and join the fight, was when he realized something was wrong; he couldn't raise his ki.

He looked at his hands in puzzlement, before he looked around for his beam sword as he wasn't carrying it. When he looked back at the crater he found out what was wrong. His body still lay there, he hadn't woken up.

"Am I dead?" He wondered to himself aloud.

"Not yet," an ominous voice called out to him.

"Who said that?" Cilan looked around trying to locate the source of the voice.

"That's not important," the mysterious voice called out to him again. "What's important right now is dealing with your father."

"Father," Cilan looked at the fight again. "Goku can beat him."

"Can he? Even at Super Saiyan 3, he's just edging him out. While Broly's ki is getting stronger the longer the fight continues. Pretty soon Goku won't be a match for him."

"A fusion between Goku and Vegeta can defeat him."

"Maybe, but even then it might not be enough."

Cilan again tried looking for the voice, "So what then? Just give up?"

"No, there is one person that can defeat Broly."

"Who?"

"You."

"Me?" Cilan's voice dripped in disbelief. "He just clobbered me."

"Don't sell yourself short. You have the potential to beat him. You're his son, so whatever powers he posses, you have yourself."

"If that were true, why haven't I been able to use them?"

"But you have. You've tapped into that power twice, when you experienced unbridled rage."

"When?"

"The day your mother died, and you killed all those pirates. The second time when you sought vengeance against Milla's killer."

The ex-soldier contemplated that, "So I have to get angry again?"

"That won't be enough now. To defeat your father, you will need to let all that rage of yours consume you whole, to fully release your power."

"Won't that make me just as insane as Broly?"

"No. His insanity comes not from the power, but how his mind is wired. You're brain is different; it can control that power and use it effectively. If you were as insane as he was, you wouldn't be here right now."

Cilan still couldn't believe that, "I'm not so sure."

"You have only two options. Say no, then Broly will get the upper hand and will kill everyone on the planet; including the people you most care about, like Kei."

His eyes widened at her name, "Kei..."

"You can lie to the others all you want, but we both know that deep down you care a lot for her. You couldn't save your mother or Milla, but you can save Kei."

The ex-soldier couldn't say anything to that. So the dark voice continued, "If you say yes, you'll finally be able to put away Broly once and for all."

Cilan stood silent weighing his options. It was then that a blast of light emanated from the place Broly and Goku fought. It appeared that Goku had canceled out a ki attack with a Kamehameha.

"You better make your decision quickly; you don't have much time left."

After a few moments he came to the only decision he could make, "What would I need to do?"

"You'll feel your entire body consumed with energy, don't fight it."

"There's one thing I want to know," Cilan looked into the sky.

"What is it?"

"Who are you?"

"Me?" The voice spoke from behind him, "Let's just say that I'm your only true friend now."

Cilan turned around to face the source and was stunned at what he saw. It was himself, but instead of the black combat suit he was wearing, or the civilian clothes he normally wore, he was shirtless and wearing white flowing pants surrounded by a red sash. The disturbing part was that his eyes were completely white with no irises.

"I'm you."

Before Cilan could respond everything exploded in a white light.

To be continued.


	13. Master of Puppets

**Author's Note: Been a long time since I last updated this story. I didn't intend to abandon it, but a writer's block got in my way, and various distractions in my life didn't help either. I'm getting back into writing again, and hope I can update this in a regular basis again. I'm sorry about the long wait and hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_April 16__th__, Age 777_

Krillin and Android 18 were flying towards the battlefield; with them was Goten and Trunks. They met up at Korin Tower as the monk had known that with Broly around, they'd need as many senzu's as possible.

He wanted to join the others when he felt there ki's heading for the legendary saiyan, but his wife stopped him. 18 had argued that every time he was in a battle, Krillin would wind up either dead or severely hurt. Even though she was right, he argued back that he just couldn't let his friends fight that monster alone. He also pointed out the last time he sat out a fight, they were still killed by Buu. The cyborg relented and went with him.

On the way to the battlefield the group felt the ki's of both Cilan and Gohan spike, then drop while Broly's ki kept growing. Then they felt Goku's ki jump dramatically, knowing he was fighting the insane saiyan. They were worried when they couldn't feel Cilan's ki, and Gohan's was weak.

The group began to see the shockwaves from the battle between Goku and Broly as they entered the forest region. Then they began to scour the ground to find Cilan, where 18 spotted a crater ahead of them. Before they reached it, a bright flash of light erupted from the battle, and witnessed Goku's Kamehameha attack. However they missed the flash that erupted in ki from the crater.

When the light died down, they found Cilan floating above the crater surrounded by golden ki and lightning. He didn't face the group, but instead looked in the direction of the battle. Krillin flew to him while the others went to find Gohan, "Cilan! Where's Gohan?"

Cilan replied in a cold monotonous voice, "Gohan is a few meters away from here, his ki is dropping."

"We know, we brought senzu's for you guys. But Cilan, we felt your ki spike, then disappear. What happened?"

"I was beaten down and cast aside."

"But you're ki is back up again."

"Yes," Cilan replied simply.

Krillin raised an eyebrow at the saiyan, but then looked ahead to the fight, "Looks like Goku will beat Broly."

"He has the upper hand at the moment, but father's power will overpower him soon."

The monk had to agree as he felt the legendary's power increase matching Goku's, he was about to comment on it when his mind caught onto what Cilan said, "Did you just call him father?"

"Yes."

"What's going...?" Krillin grabbed at the saiyan shoulders to turn him around, and his question stopped short when he saw Cilan's eyes were completely white like Broly's. At this point the short fighter dropped the satchel of senzu's and was floating away from the ex-soldier. The bag stopped falling and flew back up to the monk and floated in front of him.

"Krillin," Cilan's voice began with a deep baritone. "Take the senzu's to Gohan so he can recover."

The monk grabbed the bag and found his voice despite the terror he was feeling, "What... What are you going to do?"

Cilan turned back to the fight looking straight at Broly, "I'm going to terminate him."

Before Krillin could say anything, Cilan powered up. It caused an explosion of golden ki to surround him and increased his power by leaps; it also made the skies darken further. The saiyan took off in the direction of the fight.

* * *

The battle between Goku and Broly had spanned for several minutes. As he expected, the crazy saiyan gave Goku the fight he had sought. Despite telling himself to take it seriously, he still held back enough to enjoy the fight. It was a reversal of their first fight, where Broly was the stronger opponent.

Ducking a kick, Goku landed a straight right hand punch on Broly's solar plexus. The crazy saiyan reeled back in pain, clutching his chest that radiated with pain. He glared daggers at Goku, and his ki exploded around him, then flew straight at him. However, Broly knew he still couldn't match him in power unless he fought on longer, which he wouldn't get the chance if Kakkarot decided to end the fight now.

The legendary did realize that Kakkarot's ki didn't increase. If he could make him waste his power, then he could overpower him. An idea occurred to him then, and broke off from the fight and threw his hands up in the air. Goku was confused for a moment until he saw that Broly gathered an enormous amount of green ki into a small sphere above him. It was concentrated enough to destroy the planet, but he threw more ki into it, so it ballooned to the size of a small house. When the power of it was adequate, the legendary launched it to the earth below.

Goku didn't expect Broly to use that kind of attack. He teleported to be below the sphere and on instinct poured a significant amount of his ki into his hands as he prepared to fire a Kamehameha. Once he felt it equaled the power of the incoming sphere, he pushed his hands forward and unleashed his blast.

The blue blast clashed against the big green ki orb, halting its advance. However, Goku had to pour more of his ki into his attack as it didn't automatically cancel it out as he had planned. After a moment, the blue blast completely engulfed Broly's attack and sailed itself into space, averting a catastrophe.

Not having time to recuperate, Goku had to dodge Broly's attacks. Realizing that Broly could launch another attack, he decided on beginning to end the fight. It was then he noticed a subtle change in the insane saiyan, he was able to dodge his attacks a bit faster. When Goku was able to land an attack, it didn't seem to hurt the legendary as it did before.

Broly surprised him by making his ki jump even further. Goku tried to raise his own in response, but realized he just wasted his power in deflecting the earlier attack. The legendary had made him use up his reserves and was now on equal footing. Before Goku knew it, the insane saiyan went on the offensive.

The fist appeared out of nowhere, and Goku managed to move his head in time to dodge it. Mounting a counterattack, Goku tried punching Broly but found they were missing the intended target, and had to move fast to avoid the legendary's response. It went on like that for what felt like ages, but was actually minutes. They were parrying each punch and kick, neither being able to out-power the other.

'Kakkarot,' Vegeta's voice cut into Goku's mind. 'Why haven't you finished this freak already?'

'Broly tricked me into wasting my ki on that earlier attack,' Goku gritted his teeth as he blocked a left hook with his forearm, knowing it would be sore later.

'Great, so we're fucked.' Vegeta muttered debating with himself if he should throw his life away again and join the fight.

The other saiyan didn't respond as he knew that eventually his ki would begin to drain and would be helpless against the legendary. There was only one option left for them.

'Vegeta,' Goku called out while he moved his head to avoid a straight punch. 'We need to fuse.'

'We're not doing that again,' the prince scoffed out.

'Now's not the time for your pride Vegeta,' Goku argued after moving his body enough to let an uppercut just graze him.

'Even if we wanted to, that freak won't give us the time to do that stupid dance,' Vegeta argued back.

'I got an idea,' the younger saiyan began while flying over another of Broly's attacks. 'If I can blind him with a solar flare, then we can have enough time for the fusion dance.'

'Fool! That will never work! He won't get tricked that easily!' Vegeta huffed.

'It worked against you.'

Instead of throwing out an insult, the older saiyan considered the plan again. He simply replied with, 'Fine.'

With a plan set, Goku waited for the right moment to unleash his diversion move, all the while dodging Broly's deadly fists. He was flying backwards away from the legendary but not fast enough to get away. Goku needed him close to blind him as much as possible.

He was about to perform the attack when a blue blast flew between them halting Broly's advance. Before both men could determine where that attack came from, a second ki blast appeared aimed squarely at the legendary. After easily dodging it, Broly could only glare at the direction the attack came from.

Moments later Cilan appeared, engulfed in golden ki with his hair spikier and lightning shooting around him. His iris-less eyes glared at Broly and loudly growled out, "Father!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks and could only gape at what Cilan said, even Piccolo who was on the ground watching the fight, stood stunned.

Broly was the first to speak, his voice menacing, but with a hint of surprise, "What did you call me?"

"Father."

"I don't know what madness you're spewing, but I've never had a son!" Broly shouted at him glaring at him with the same intensity he reserved for Goku.

"Yes you do." Cilan matched the glare and continued, "Twenty-two years ago, a female saiyan named Cinna arrived at New Planet Vegeta after being lured by your father Paragus. She was captured and experimented on to make more Super Saiyans like you."

The legendary considered what he heard, trying to think that far back when he was still under his father's control. Broly's menacing face gave way to an evil smile, "I remember now. Dad wouldn't let me touch her, what a shame; she looked like such a tasty whore."

The second those words left his mouth, Cilan had somehow managed to deliver a left hook to his father's face, catching him off guard.

"Don't you fucking call her that!" Cilan screamed as his ki doubled.

Broly reeled back stunned that he let himself be hit. Something moved in his mouth which he spit into his palm. What he found was that it was one of his molars; it came loose from the punch. The legendary crushed it in his fist before he returned with a powerful straight right punch at Cilan's face.

It would have knocked out the ex-soldier earlier, but instead he took it, with only a trickle of blood coming out of his mouth. Cilan powered up again and lunged at his father, aiming a ki blast into his chest. Broly sidestepped it and fired off a green ki ball into his son's face. That was deflected away, and Cilan responded by delivering a liver shot with a kick from his left leg.

The impact shot through the legendary's body. He'd taken different hits to the liver before, but Cilan's kick actually managed to hurt him. Holding back a shudder, Broly grabbed Cilan's leg with one hand while trying to blast him with the other. His son countered by using telekinesis to deflect his hand enough for the blast to miss, then stomped on his chest with his other leg. That caused Broly to let go of his Cilan's leg.

As father and son grappled in the air, Krillin and crew arrived with senzu's and a rejuvenated Gohan. The monk had filled them in on Cilan's revelation, but they couldn't believe it. Until they were closer to the battle and saw firsthand that Cilan was exhibiting the same powers like Broly.

"Piccolo, I got some senzu's," Gohan landed next to the exhausted Piccolo, and handed him the magical bean. The namekian took it gratefully and nearly inhaled it. After chewing on it for a few seconds, his strength and ki had returned.

"Is it true about Cilan?" Gohan asked.

Piccolo nodded, "I heard him say it before he fought Broly."

Gohan began to power-up and was about to fly into the fray when Piccolo put his hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Don't get involved. This is Cilan's fight."

"But can we trust him? He lied to us twice already." The younger man said as he watched the fight.

"We'll get our answers, but for now we have to wait and see how this plays out."

Cilan meanwhile was countering Broly's green ki orbs with blasts from his fingertips. His mental powers had also helped in deflecting the faster ones away. The insane saiyan was getting frustrated. He wanted nothing more than to finally kill off Kakkarot and destroy the planet. However his alleged son was in his way, and putting up a better fight than before.

The legendary also caught that Gohan had returned and was rejuvenated as well, meaning that Kakkarot would follow suit. So he only had a small window of opportunity to accomplish his goals. His thoughts returned back to Cilan who was trying to kick his head off. The crazy saiyan could still overpower him and kill him once and for all, but he needed an opening.

Broly then thought back to how the younger saiyan became angry when his mother was insulted. If he could do it again, he could make Cilan charge at him unfocused and leave himself open.

"Hey boy!" Broly called out. "Where's your mother now? After I kill you, I want to get piece of that whore's ass."

That riled Cilan enough to charge at his father. Broly moved back, but slow enough for his son to land punches. He needed to lull him into thinking he had the upper hand in the fight. After Cilan tried going for a left hook, Broly disappeared and materialized at Cilan's side where he unleashed a green blast engulfing his son. The blast lasted for a few moments, and when the light died down, Cilan had disappeared. Broly turned to Goku, who had barely managed to eat a senzu, and lunged at him. Goku dodged as best as he could while he waited for the magical bean to rejuvenate his strength.

Down below on the ground, Cilan landed on his back with a thud. He managed to project a mental barrier around himself at the last minute, but the force of the ki blast knocked him out of the air. He slammed his right fist into the earth, angry he was fooled so easily. His saiyan side wanted to go back up there at full force and fight his father again, but his rationality stopped him. The young saiyan realized that even though his ki increased significantly; his father was still leaps above him. It made him also realize it'd be pointless to try and raise his own ki to match him, as his father had too much of a head start.

The ex-soldier stood up and dusted himself off, it was then he caught sight of his beam sword's hilt not far from him. Cilan pointed his palm to the weapon and it began to fly towards him. When it flew into his hand, he activated it; to be sure it still worked. The beam sword produced the blue and white flame without fail. As he looked in the plume of energy, he thought back to his fight with Fotu, and also the fight that Krillin and Gohan had against Guldo on Namek.

'If my ki has increased, could my telekinetic powers have increased as well?' he asked himself. He looked around himself and noted there weren't many objects around, except for the trees. Looking at them he only had one thought, 'Worth a shot.'

Cilan turned his attention back to his father, powered up his super saiyan ki, and flew back into the fray. The trees he looked at before began to shake violently before they broke free from their stumps and flew up after him.

In the air, Broly still kept at it against Goku, trying to lay his hands on him to tear him apart. The senzu did its job for Goku, but he found that while his strength returned to what it was before, Broly's strength had increased. He no longer had the advantage he enjoyed earlier. Goku considered the earlier plan of trying to blind the sociopath, to give him enough time to fuse with Vegeta.

Those plans again did not come to fruition, because Cilan again interrupted the fight by aiming a ki ball at insane saiyan.

"You again?" Broly snarled at Cilan. "I would think you'd be running back to your mother."

The ex-soldier looked at him stonily, with his white eyes and only responded back with, "She's dead."

Before his father could retort, Cilan disappeared and materialized at Broly's side swinging his sword at his abdomen. The older saiyan dodged it and was about to blast his son again, when a redwood hit him from below with significant force. The tree didn't hurt him, but the impact of it knocked him back several yards away.

Broly had a look of surprise as he did not see that coming. He thought one of the other fighters threw the tree at him, but they looked just as surprised. The sociopath's thought were interrupted when he noticed the same tree was floating between himself and his son. It was damaged from the impact, branches were torn off and splits appeared on the outside of it.

Before Broly knew it, the redwood came at him again. He destroyed it with one of his ki blasts, which distracted him to Cilan's kick to the side of his face. Angry at being blindsided so easily, Broly fired more ki spheres at Cilan. The ex-soldier dodged them, with a smirk on his face. Seeing that only angered the insane saiyan further. He was going to fire even more spheres, when he had to dodge another tree that he only saw at the last second.

Broly destroyed the second tree with his ki. That distraction allowed to Cilan to fire a concentrated ki blast from his index finger at his father's head. His father could only move his head just enough to let the energy graze his cheek, marring his face. Snarling in anger, Broly was about to charge at his son, when he caught sight of a dozen trees, floating below.

The sociopath was puzzled at why these appeared, and looked back at his son. Cilan glared back at him, mirroring his expression. Broly was piecing something together, when he charged up his ki into another sphere. He launched it towards the floating trees; it split up into smaller spheres and destroyed them all.

Without pause, he charged and fired his multiple ki ball attack at his son. The ex-soldier didn't bother dodging them, instead all the spheres stopped before impacting. They stood there momentarily before they were sent back to their originator. They fizzled out after hitting Broly's ki shield.

"So this has been your doing, boy?" Broly asked. Cilan only grunted in response. "How?"

"I may have inherited your brute strength, but mom passed down her mental powers."

That was another wrinkle for the crazy saiyan. Not only did he have to deal with Kakkarot, but now his son posed a threat as well. With green ki flaring his body, Broly snarled out, "I don't care what that whore gave you, you're a mistake, and I'm going to correct it."

He rocketed towards his son at an insane amount of speed. Cilan used his own ki and a bit of his telekinetics to jump over Broly, and then launched a blast from his palms. The ki hit, but only singed his father. However, Cilan moved in and launched a series of punches at Broly's face.

The ex-soldier connected a left hook onto the other saiyan's nose, "Stop…"

Then Cilan used a right handed uppercut to hit Broly's chin, "Calling my mom…."

"A whore," He capped off his attack by driving his left elbow into Broly's right temple.

The sociopathic saiyan staggered back, holding his arm to his face. He pulled his arm forward and saw blood, indicating his nose was broken.

"Fuck you!" Broly roared out, spittle flying from his mouth. "You think you can stop me? You're nothing!" He went on the attack again, faster than before. Cilan ducked an oncoming clothesline, and sent a left-handed punch into Broly's side. Grunting from the hit, Broly swung his arm back hitting Cilan in the face. The ex-soldier was knocked back, but he shook it off. He drew his beam sword out again and charged at his father with it.

Broly had to dodge every swipe, as he came perilously close to losing his head. He charged a ki sphere. His plan was to detonate at into Cilan at point blank range. He ducked another swing and moved in close to detonate the energy in Cilan's face. The ex-soldier didn't try moving out of the way of it; but instead focused his mind on the ki itself. He looked at it in the microscopic level; at the strands of ki that binded together, and severed those chains.

The ki ball exploded prematurely in Broly's hand. Before he could even wonder how that occurred, the beam sword was swung at him again. The insane saiyan moved back enough to avoid having his chest split open. Tired of being on the defense, Broly dodged another swing, and managed to knock the sword from Cilan's hands. The sociopath charged another ki ball to use on his son, not paying attention to the weapon that he knocked away.

Instead of plummeting back towards the earth, it stopped mid-flight and came back at Broly. One moment he had his right arm outstretched ready to blast his son, and the next a blue blur passed by and all feeling in the right hand disappeared. He looked at his arm and saw it now had a cauterized stump where his hand used to be. Broly shot daggers at his son, while the sword flew safely into Cilan's hand, and gave his father a superior smirk. He reached the breaking point then, and his body was consumed by the green glow of his ki. "Fuck all of you!"

Broly raised his good hand and prepared another ki sphere, "I'll destroy all of you and this fucking planet."

The others were stunned at the amount of ki Broly was beginning to gather and Goku wondered if he would be able to stop that blast himself. Cilan looked stoically at his father, while he pointed a palm out at him.

In an instant the energy that Broly gathered had stopped and he let out a choking gasp, and his left arm clutched his chest. The ex-soldier had the same stoic expression, but his palm now appeared it was clutching the air.

"Wh… What… are you… doing… to me?" The insane saiyan asked between gasps.

"I have your heart in my hand, so to speak," Cilan replied in a matter of fact tone.

"Pl… Please… son, let me go…," Broly began to plead.

Cilan smirked then, "Why? So you can kill all of us?"

"You can't do this to me! I'm the legendary super saiyan! I'm the strongest being in the universe! I'm…," Broly gasped again.

"You're pathetic," Cilan finished the sentence for him, while he closed his hand into a fist. His father gave out one last gasp and died as his heart was crushed to a pulp. His hair returned to its natural brunette color, from the yellow-green it once was. It was then his body began to fall towards the ground, but it stopped in mid-air and was floated back to Cilan's level.

If his mask wasn't destroyed Cilan could have known if Broly truly died or not. As it was, he had to rely on his ki senses, which told him his father no longer had contained any energy within. Not wanting to take any chances, he raised the body higher in the air, as he charged up his own ki.

Cupping his hands at his side, he prepared a Kamehameha blast. He launched it moments later at the corpse. It had enough power to completely incinerate the body leaving only ash that fell towards the earth.

Cilan didn't have much time to contemplate, as he felt many eyes on his back. Turning around he found the Z-fighters powered up and in fighting stances, eyeing him wearily. He couldn't blame them, after everything that went down today. Goku was closest to him, and he was still in his SSJ3 form, though there was confusion in his eyes. There were many questions he knew they would have, but his was too drained to even deal with that. He did the only thing he could think of, and placed his hands in front of his face then shouted,

"Solar Flare!"

In a stroke of luck, he managed to blind them all. Cilan used the ensuing chaos to mask his ki and fly away from them using his mind. The Z-fighters blindness wore off after a few long minutes, but once it returned they found themselves alone over the forest, confused and worried.

To Be Continued.


	14. Aftermath

**All DBZ characters portrayed are owned by Toei.**

* * *

_April 22__nd__, Age 777_

Dusk was settling on a solitary house nestled between great valleys, far removed from West City. Inside the home was Cilan, as he sat on a couch watching television. He was dressed in dark blue sweat pants and a grey sweatshirt. His only company was the TV remote, the beam sword at his side, an empty tumbler and an open bottle of bourbon on the coffee table in front of him.

It had been almost a week since the battle with Broly, and he hid from everyone in that time. After he blinded the other fighters, he went straight back to his apartment to gather his belongings. He had to go though the bedroom window to avoid Kei. By the time he left, the Z-Fighters showed up.

Cilan had wanted to go back to his ship and take off, but he'd sense that Vegeta and Trunks were there waiting for him. With nowhere else to go, he hid out in the sticks. The minute he reached his second home and powered down, his body passed out from sheer exhaustion. He slept for thirty straight hours.

The home was a capsule house, but the land belonged to the ex-soldier. Earlier in the year, after he lost the use of Capsule #3, he found and purchased a few acres of rural land. After seeing the quiet life Goku had out in the mountains, Cilan had wanted something similar. It was wooded terrain, and had a nearby lake for fishing. He liked living in the city for the convenience, but there were times he felt he needed to be away to meditate in peace.

Cilan had kept the purchase a secret; he felt he needed to attain complete focus of his mental powers without any distractions. He hadn't sensed anyone searching the area, so he knew he was safe. What helped the most was the ki blocker he was currently wearing. Unlike the bulky unit he was first issued many years back, it was now just a small microchip embedded inside a wristband. He wore it on his right wrist opposite his watch on the left.

The blocker was a fifth generation design the GF issued before he retired; it could block his ki even if he was in his first super saiyan form. Cilan had to bribe a contact of his in the supply depot to smuggle one out for him, it would have proved useful in future fights. He hadn't worn it on Earth much, as he didn't really saw a use for it until last week. It was one of the things he needed to retrieve from his apartment, as well as his personal belongings.

He left his phone behind as he knew Bulma would use it to track him down. That also prompted him to shutoff the computer on his combat suit. Though he'd only worn the gear a few nights before to scope out Capsule Corp. He planned on getting access to his ship and taking off, but it was still being guarded by the other fighters. So he could only bide his time until an opportunity presented itself.

Cilan had spent most of the time trying to train as much as he could without going over the blockers limit. He couldn't train his mental powers as that would alert Piccolo on his whereabouts. His only other highlight of the last few days was going to a nearby village to pick up food and liquor.

'Might need to go on another booze run soon,' Cilan mused as he looked at the half-empty bottle of bourbon. The illustrated turkey logo on it just stared back at him. He smirked, before he poured a shot into the glass. After this bottle, he'd be down to only five left. Taking a sip from the tumbler, he drew his attention back to the television.

It was tuned to an evening news broadcast. Cilan had been watching closely to the media outlets, to see if there was any mention of the battle with Broly. What he found in both broadcasts and online, was passing references to the 'earthquake' that was felt and some disturbances in the forest region. It was quite odd that they didn't dig deep into the causes, but he figured it was better this way. With more media scrutiny, reporters would no doubt stop at nothing to harass the Z-Fighters.

The only other thing of interest was stories about Bulma not being seen in the past few days, and more activity at CC. The reports speculated it was related to some new project the genius was working on. Though the ex-soldier knew it was because she was doing her best in tracking him down.

Tuning out the broadcast, Cilan sat back and brooded again on his best attempt at escaping. From what he saw, Vegeta, Trunks, and Gohan were on a rotating schedule in watching the Arkbird. Even if he did manage to sneak on board; it was still housed in that domed structure, which he'd need to figure out how to override the system.

It was then he remembered that the Capsule #3 had the new engine on it, and it was still space capable. Its control systems were similar enough to the Arkbird's, so he could pilot it without too much trouble. All he needed to do would be to wait for Vegeta to stop using it for the day, and takeoff when they least suspected.

As he finally settled on a plan of action, a tiny part of his mind reminded him that he'd be leaving without ever seeing Kei again. For the past few days he'd done his best on not thinking about her, as he knew he wouldn't think clearly. That meant he'd distract himself with whatever he could do. He hit a snag as he had already trained the entire day, nor could he work on his telekinetic powers. And there was nothing to watch on TV to distract him either.

Cilan gulped down his drink, as his mind turned to the green-eyed redhead. He remembered there last conversation they had, and her confession about her feelings. The ex-soldier had told her they'd talk about it after the battle, but the aftermath prevented him from doing so. He considered if he should go back to the apartment and talk with her before he left.

That thought was quickly shot down, as he knew the others would be there waiting for him to show up. There was also the possibly of Kei not wanting to hear from him again, if she heard what Cilan had been hiding.

'She's probably more worried than angry with you,' the tiny voice argued.

'She was furious after she found out I went to a strip club,' his cold side argued back.

The small voice countered, 'But she forgave you eventually.'

"I hate having a conscious," Cilan muttered to himself as he poured another drink. It didn't help that the tugging feeling in his chest returned when he thought about Kei again. The confession about her feelings for him was coloring his judgment; the saiyan couldn't trust himself if he saw her again. If he needed to escape, he would need to avoid her.

His conscious reminded him that she felt safe with him around, and he would be breaking her heart if he never saw her again. The ex-soldier let out a heavy sigh over his current conflictions. He was about to chug down his drink when there was a knock on the door.

The ex-soldier was alert as he slowly went to the door, as he tried to sense who was visiting him. His face was full of surprise when he recognized the ki signature; it wasn't any of the Z-Fighters. Upon opening the door, he found Kei waiting at the threshold.

* * *

_Hours earlier…_

Kei was in her air car driving to Capsule Corp. Bulma had called earlier in the day, asking her to come over to look over a new engine design; the redhead agreed, she needed the distraction. As she swerved around the city traffic, her thoughts flashed back to the last few days.

It had been only a little over an hour after Cilan had left, when the other fighters showed up to their apartment. She grew worried that Cilan wasn't among them. They didn't explain much, only that they had fought Cilan's father, and that the ex-soldier ran from them. They didn't elaborate further, but from what she could tell, they didn't know much either. Searching the apartment only led them to discover that he had beaten them there, and managed to sneak off with his belongings, without Kei knowing.

Part of her was hurt that he avoided her, but she was also very worried about him. She knew he was a soldier and could adapt to be on his own, but she also knew that he was having problems and didn't have anyone to talk to.

Kei had waited patiently for Cilan to show up that night, but he hadn't. She still had classes to go to, but had hoped she would find him there once she got back from campus, but was disappointed each day. The redhead wished he took his phone with him; at least she could have called him and talked reason into him.

She hadn't heard from her cousin until today's call. The engineer in training knew Bulma was busy trying to track down Cilan. Her aunt told her as much, whenever she called the apartment to check on her niece.

After turning a corner, the redhead slowed the air car down and landed outside of the CC campus. She capsulated the vehicle and let herself into the main building. Kei was greeted by some of the workers that recognized her. Bunny had given her a hug and told her to come to the kitchen later on for some supper. She also saw Gohan and Goku there, apparently they were discussing with Vegeta, on how to track down Cilan.

Walking the labyrinth that made up the labs of CC, Kei found the doors to her cousin's personal lab and pressed the door bell. The doors opened and she stepped through. Inside she found Bulma, hunched over a work bench repairing the motor of a dirt bike, while smoking a cigarette. The blue haired scientist looked up, giving her cousin a tired smile, "Glad you could make it Kei."

The redhead stood in front of the work bench, looking at the engine, "You need help with this?"

"No, I needed a reason to get you here without raising any suspicions," Bulma rolled her chair back to a large monitor and terminal, and began to type on it.

"Suspicions? What's this about then?"

"It's about Cilan," her cousin replied.

Kei's eye's shot wide open, "You found him!"

After a few more keystrokes, the display then lit up showing a blinking red dot on a map of the globe, "Keep it down, no one else knows."

The redhead lowered her voice, "How did you find him? He left his phone behind."

"I know," Bulma responded between puffs. "He also got clever and shutoff the computer on his battle suit, but he didn't think of ditching his watch."

"You put a tracer on it?"

"It has a transponder, but it's normally deactivated. The watches I made for Cilan and Gohan are calibrated via radio signals to keep accurate time. The first day he disappeared, I put in a command on the signal to activate the transponder. When that didn't work, I knew he wasn't in any city, as I have broadcast towers at each major city.

"I had to use my satellites to broadcast globally at specific regions. It finally activated early this morning when one of my satellites made a pass in this area of the world," the display zoomed in on a satellite photo of the house Cilan was staying in.

"Why are you telling me, and not the others?"

The blue haired scientist put out her cigarette as she faced Kei, "I tell them, they're going to confront him and start a fight. Vegeta is ready to kill him, because he sees him as a threat. Right now Cilan needs a friend and you're the only person he trusts."

The redhead considered it, and could only nod, "Where is he?"

"He's in the northeastern part of the continent," Bulma printed out a map of the location, and handed it to Kei, along with a capsule. "It should take you an hour or two if you take my hover car."

Kei took the items, then gave her cousin a hug, "Thanks for your help."

"Not a problem, now hurry. Go out the back so the others don't see you."

With one last nod, the younger woman left the lab via side door, while Bulma lit up another cigarette and went back to work on the motor.

* * *

Cilan and Kei stared at each other for a minute. The saiyan's mind was racing try to figure out how he was found. She was waiting on him to say something. It was then a slight breeze picked up, causing her to shiver. The redhead was only wearing a red blouse and blue jeans. She decided to speak first, "May I come in?"

That made him snap out of his thoughts. He nodded and moved to one side to let her in. Kei took in the surroundings, noting the bourbon bottle on the table. "Nice place."

"Thanks," the ex-soldier stood at the door as he regarded her, trying his best to clamp down on his heart. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No."

Another awkward silence descended between the two. Neither one knew what to say to the other. The saiyan let out a breath, "How much did the guys tell you?"

Without pause she replied, "Only that they fought your dad, and you ran off after killing him."

When there was no response, she continued, "Didn't you say a man named Shalot was your father and he was dead?"

"I did," Cilan looked away. "I lied."

Kei crossed her arms, "Why?"

He looked at her with his stony face, but his eyes were sad, "It's a long story."

She saw his eyes and lowered her arms, then moved to middle seat on the couch. "We got time."

"It isn't a pleasant story."

The redhead patted a seat next to her, "Doesn't matter, I want to know."

The saiyan moved away from the door and took the offered seat. He laid his head back against the couch, looking up to the ceiling. After closing his eyes, he started, "It began over thirty years ago…."

Cilan revealed Shalot did die protecting his mother, but ten years before he was born. He then told Kei, that Cinna was lured to New Vegeta and was captured by Paragus. Where she was experimented on to make more super saiyans by using Broly's DNA to impregnate her. Once he was conceived and in Cinna's womb, she had managed to escape from their clutches and had been on the run ever since.

The saiyan didn't look down from the ceiling as he finished the story; he didn't know what Kei's reaction would have been. There was a sniffle, which made him look down to his side. Tears were streaming down the redheads face. Before he could say anything, she threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry," she said between sobs.

"Kei, please…"

"I know, 'don't apologize', and it's not my fault, but I can't help it. It's just so sad. I feel sorry for all you've gone through."

"Just don't cry, please," Cilan asked as he put an arm around her. She cried into his shoulder as he patted her back. It was then he realized he was comforting her, even though he confided his past to her. He mentally shrugged it off, and waited for Kei to calm down.

The redhead did so after a while, and they held each other after that. Around that time, Kei noticed the black band around his right wrist, "What's that?"

"Hm?" Cilan followed her line of sight, "Ki blocker. I've been wearing it to hide from everyone else."

"So that's how you did it," she exclaimed. "You've had everyone worried."

"Really?"

"Yes. You had me worried, along with my aunt and cousin. Why did you hide anyway?"

Cilan scratched the back of his head, "Thought it was a good idea at the time. After the battle the others looked like they were ready to fight me."

"They were just confused, I'm sure they wouldn't have attacked you…. Well, maybe Vegeta."

The saiyan only grunted in response.

"What was your plan anyway, just waiting until everything calmed down and talked with them?"

"No, waiting until they let their guard down and escape on a ship."

"What!" Kei pulled back from him then, with a shocked expression. "You were planning on leaving all of us behind!"

He mentally cringed at the pitch of her voice. The ex-soldier put on a stoic face and used his most detached voice he could muster, "It was a tactically sound plan given the circumstances."

Kei crossed her arms and glared at him, "Bullshit. That's the coward's way out. You're better than that."

It dawned on Cilan at that moment, that while Kei said 'us', she really meant 'me'. A pang of guilt hit him, as he didn't intend to hurt her, "You're right, it was a stupid plan."

Her face relaxed and scooted next to him, "So you're not going to leave?"

"No."

"Are you going to talk with the others?"

"In a couple of decades," that earned him an elbow to his ribs. "I'll talk with them tomorrow."

"Good."

They sat in silence again, a comfortable one, as they watched the TV. However, neither of them was really paying attention to what was onscreen, as they were lost in their thoughts. Kei still had some questions about Broly.

"Why'd you kill your father?"

Cilan still looked at the television when replied, "How much did you know about him?"

"I was told he was a saiyan who was insane and wanted to kill Goku."

That elicited a snort from the ex-soldier, "Insane is putting it mildly."

"Oh?"

"He destroyed planets for his amusement," he reached for the neglected glass and sipped on the bourbon.

Her face dropped at that, "Really?"

"Broly nearly wiped out every living thing in the southern galaxy," he took another sip as he remembered his exploration there. "My ship was almost destroyed navigating the asteroids he turned those planets into."

"Do you know how many people he killed?"

The saiyan shook his head, "Not an exact figure, the Arkbird estimated it into the hundreds of billions; the surviving species said it was more than that."

She sat silent as her mind took in what she heard, after a pause she turned to him, "He could have destroyed the Earth."

He nodded as he took the last drink from the tumbler, "I had to put him down. He would have killed you."

"Along with everyone else," Kei's mind could only imagine how close the planet was to being destroyed.

Cilan looked at her then, "Yes, but I couldn't let him destroy you."

The redhead noticed the intensity of his stare, "Are you saying you killed him to protect me?"

There was no response, but she caught a flicker in his eyes, giving her an answer. "Why?"

The ex-soldier turned away from her then and reached for the whiskey bottle to empty the last of its amber liquid into his glass. He sloshed the liquor in his cup as he stared into it for what seemed like minutes.

'If I tell her, there'll be no going back,' he told himself as one final warning. Kei was about to give up and look back at the television when he finally spoke.

"A week ago, you wanted me to be honest with you," he began, not looking at her. "When I first met you last year, I didn't know what kind of person you were. In the months since you've become a great friend and are one of the few people I can trust in the universe. You're kind, smart, and you're not spoiled like the rest of them.

"Lately, I've been having feelings, ones I haven't felt in years. Emotions I didn't think I had the capacity to feel anymore; a 'fondness' of sorts."

He took a sip from the tumbler then, not looking at Kei. "It was during the fight that I realized this, and I didn't want you to die. I had to kill my father to protect you."

Kei was stunned at what she had heard, and if she understood correctly, he just admitted his feelings. She was elated, but she couldn't show it.

"I don't understand? What are you trying to say?" The redhead had been through a lot in the last week, and she wanted to hear him say it, not just allude to it.

That response made the saiyan nearly drop his drink; he put down the glass and looked at her incredulously. Rolling his eyes, he stated bluntly, "I like you too, ok?"

Cilan was about to go back for his drink, when Kei put a hand on his arm and was face to face with him.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" She then pressed her lips to his. The saiyan was caught by surprise, but he didn't resist. The kiss was warm, and both felt a jolt go through them. They parted moments after; Kei had a smile on her face, while Cilan was still surprised.

"Wow," was all she could say.

"Yeah," he replied after a breath, looking into her shining green eyes. They looked at each for a moment before they kissed again, more hungrily than the first. He tasted the sweet lip gloss she wore as he ran his tongue across her warm lips. That caused a moan to escape from her as she opened her mouth to him.

By that point, Cilan ran a hand through her auburn hair and cupped the base of her head to deepen the kiss; his other arm was embracing her back. Kei had her arms wrapped around his neck, and her eyes closed as she explored his mouth. He tasted of bourbon, which seemed to excite her more, and pressed herself more into him. They were at the edge of the couch, the arm rest digging into Cilan's back; though he didn't seem to notice.

His body did notice how warm her body felt against him, especially her breasts pressing into his chest and her taught tummy against his abdomen. Those sensations stirred something primal in him, and it was close to shutting down his higher brain functions. Kei's heart was racing as her body heated up; she nearly lost her train of thought as she kept making out with the saiyan. She then felt Cilan's hand snaking down her back towards her rear end, and felt his desire poking her. The redhead broke off the kiss then.

"We gotta stop," she was trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah?" Cilan was taking deep breaths.

"Moving too fast," was all she could say. She caught the flicker of disappointment in his eyes, but he nodded in agreement. Cilan moved from the arm rest and sat normally again, but he kept an arm draped around Kei, while she still embraced him; she rested her head on his chest and heard his rapid heartbeat slow.

The pair sat like that for nearly a half hour, the saiyan was watching the television while being hyper-aware of how Kei's warmth radiated into him.

"What else do you like about me?" The redhead asked ending the silence.

Not breaking his attention from the monitor, he replied with a smirk, "I guess you're decently looking."

She pinched him in the sides for that one. That caused him to chuckle, "You're very beautiful."

"More beautiful than Stacey?" She referred to the stripper that had a crush on Cilan.

He broke into a small smile at her jealousy, "Much more."

Kei rose up and kissed him lightly on the lips, "Good."

She settled back down and watched the TV, but after a few minutes Cilan had asked her how she had managed to find his hideout. The redhead revealed about the tracker on the watch and how Bulma used her satellites to find him.

"Should have tossed it back at the apartment," the saiyan muttered as he glared at the timepiece.

"Are you mad?" She looked at him with guarded eyes

Cilan caught that look and relaxed his face, "Not at you, or Bulma for that matter. Just that I didn't think about the watch. If I was still in the military, first thing I would have done was to get rid it.

"I'm just getting rusty," he said with a shrug.

"It's ok, you're a civilian now." Kei wanted to make him feel better, "You did slow her down by leaving the phone behind and turning off the computer on your suit. So you're still pretty sneaky."

The saiyan didn't respond, but gave her a light squeeze and his normal smirk. He reached from the remote and began to channel surf until he landed on a crime drama movie, with cops having a shootout with robbers. Kei didn't say anything, so he left the channel there and watched it with her at his side.

The movie ended at ten, and Cilan found Kei fast asleep.

'She probably had a long day,' he surmised internally as he gingerly picked her up and took her to bed. The capsule house only had one bedroom, so he planned on giving her his bed and he'd sleep on the couch. He laid her down on the bed and put a blanket over her, then kissed her on the cheek. He smirked remembering doing this just a week before.

After that, he went into the personal bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth for the night. He turned off the light and stepped back into the room, giving the redhead one last glance. The saiyan was about to step out into the hallway when she called after him, "Cilan."

He turned around and found Kei sitting up from the bed, starring at him. "What's wrong?"

"Can't sleep," she said simply and turned on the lamp on the night stand.

"I think there are some sleeping pills in the medicine cabinet."

She shook her head, "Don't need those, I need you."

"What?" He replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I won't be able to go to sleep without you next to me."

"I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Oh?"

"It's been a very long time since I've slept with a woman."

"So you think you've forgotten what to do?" Her voice was tinged with humor.

He smirked at her, "Didn't you say we were moving too fast?"

That caused her to shrug, "Changed my mind."

"Are you sure?"

Kei laughed, "Is the big bad saiyan scared of a girl?"

He didn't respond but he moved away from the door.

"Do you want to be alone tonight?" She asked as her green eyes sparkled in the dim yellow light. That did him in, and he took a seat next to her on the bed. He moved his face close to hers as he replied in a hushed tone, "No."

Their lips met again as they embraced each other.

* * *

Overseeing the entire Earth, Dende stood at the edge of the Lookout. The young guardian had fulfilled his role for nearly ten years, not a lot time compared to Kami before him. However, in those few years he had learned the perks that came with being a guardian for a planet. One such perk was being able to locate a certain crafty saiyan.

Cilan might have held off the Z-Fighters, and slowed down the blue-haired genius, but the young namekian had been following him since the end of the battle with Broly. Piccolo had asked him if he knew where the saiyan was hiding. The guardian had indicated that he did, but refused to tell him where he was.

Dende had reminded the older namekian that his first assessment of Cilan was correct. He wasn't evil, but was a conflicted person. If he told the Z-Fighters where to find the young saiyan, all it would accomplish was more strife. He assured Piccolo that Cilan will answer their questions when he was ready and they'd know in due time. Piccolo grumbled at his decision, but the Kami part of him was proud that the young guardian had made a decision on his own without their advice.

The namekian had watched the conversation between Cilan and Kei, and knew the saiyan would be coming back to the fold by the next day. He turned away from the edge when he saw the young couple had become intimate, and let them have their privacy.

'It's going to be a good spring this year,' he thought as he walked back to the palace.

* * *

It was a quarter past eight in the morning when Cilan had woken up. Kei was clinging to him as she rested her head on his chest, while her hair draped his body. Her face wore a satisfied smile. He ran a hand down her back, which elicited a low moan from the redhead. Her body was soft and warm, and he relished how good it felt. It was much better than in his dreams.

'Guess I'm stuck here now,' he told himself as the previous nights activities raced through his mind. When they got naked, he was surprised at how she reacted to his scars. It made her more passionate as she ran her hands over them. He hadn't experienced anything like that since Milla, other women tended to ignore them or in some cases were repulsed by them. Not Kei, she was fascinated with each one asking how he received them between their kisses.

He shook those thoughts out his mind then. If he kept lingering on them, he'd be tempted to wake Kei again and go for more. After holding her for a moment longer, he carefully extracted himself from her embrace. She murmured in her sleep once she lost the feel of his warmth. He located his tossed pair of boxers and his sweatpants. Putting on a clean white muscle shirt, he went into the bathroom to clean up.

Before he left the bedroom, he put a blanket over the redhead's body and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. He turned away and quietly closed the door behind him. Cilan walked through the small home and went out the front door, and walked a few paces from the house. His watch told him it was eight thirty-seven in the morning, and everyone else should be awake by now.

He looked back at the house, and figured he was far enough away so Kei could sleep in peace. For what he was about to do, he knew the redhead would want to be there to provide moral support. But she had been through enough already and needed some rest. It was also something he needed to do on his own.

Looking at the black wristband that he still wore, he let out a small breath and pressed the small button to deactivate the ki blocker. Then he powered up to his second Super Saiyan level and stood there waiting. His actions had been immediately noticed by several people around the globe.

Unsurprisingly, Goku had shown up first wearing his orange gi and prepared for battle. He had teleported to Cilan's location in just under five seconds after his transformation. The older saiyan left behind a surprised Chi Chi, Gohan and Goten during the middle of family breakfast. Expecting a fight, he instead was surprised by finding Cilan transformed, but only wearing his training clothes and looking at his watch. Further confusing him, the ex-soldier powered down to his base form and crossed his arms, giving him a grim stare.

The younger saiyan felt the other fighter's ki signatures moving to his location. By their speed, they'd reach him in about five minutes. With Goku now there, it'd be pointless to stay in his new super form.

Still confused, Goku looked around and saw the house behind the younger man, "That your house?"

Cilan nodded.

"It looks nice."

The produced a small smile on the ex-soldiers face, "Thanks."

"How long have you owned it?"

"Not long, I purchased the land months ago, before I got a capsule house."

The surprised the older saiyan, "You bought land?"

Nodding again, "I was out here training by myself one day and found this spot, liked it a lot so I bought it."

He gestured to the lake behind the other saiyan, "That lake is great for fishing."

That perked up Goku's ears as he looked over his shoulder at the shimmering blue waters. He turned back excited, "Can I fish there later?"

"Go ahead," Cilan tried his best to suppress a grin. Goku had shown up ready for a fight, and less than five minutes wanted to go fishing. The other arrived one by one shortly thereafter; though instead of a confrontation between two mighty saiyans, they discovered Goku asking questions about the lake.

Goku's sons were the first arrive, Piccolo was second, Krillin and 18 were third. Things were relatively calm until Vegeta showed up at full power and flew straight for Cilan. Goku and Gohan had to hold him back.

"Let go of me! He's that psycho's son! He's too dangerous to live!" Vegeta yelled out, causing spittle to fly from his mouth.

The ex-soldier took up a fighting stance, and regretting on leaving his beam sword inside the house.

Goku tried to talk down the former prince, "Come on Vegeta, we don't need to start a fight."

That only caused Vegeta to get angrier, "How can you trust this asshole? He's been lying to us ever since he arrived here."

"I'm sure he has good explanation for that," Goku replied while looking back at Cilan.

The situation was tense, but Cilan felt he could explain. Until more fuel was added to the fire in the form of Bulma's helicopter arriving and landing near the assembled group. The blue-haired genius and her son stepped out of the machine. As impossible as it was, Vegeta's tempter increased ten-fold at the sight of his mate. He would have arrived sooner to battle Cilan, but he had to make sure Bulma didn't know where he went.

The spikey-haired saiyan glared at his son, "Boy, didn't I tell you to stop your mother from coming here?"

Trunks held up his hands in defeat, "She told me she'd take away my allowance."

Before Vegeta could yell at Bulma, she had walked straight to Cilan and poked him in the chest and gave him her trademark glare. "Where have you been? You run off for a week and have all of us worried? You better explain yourself mister!"

The ex-soldier grimaced at her tone, and was about to say something, but he was cut-off.

"Woman, what are you doing here? This is none of your business!" Vegeta growled out.

That only caused her to glare back at him, "Cilan's my employee, so it is my business, jerk!"

Cilan was hit by a sense of déjà vu, and felt he needed to step in. However, a sleepy voice from the door of his house called out, "Cilan? What's all the noise about?"

All the shouting stopped and all eyes turned to the doorway to find Kei, who was wearing nothing but Cilan's sweatshirt that stopped just below her hips. Once she realized she was being seen by nine sets of eyeballs, her pale skin turned a deep shade of red, and tried to make sure the shirt didn't rise up.

The ex-soldier had to suppress a chuckle, but spoke, "We have guests, dear."

They turned their attention from her to Cilan with raised eyebrows, except for Bulma who had a grin on her face. The ex-soldier scratched the back of his head, "Would you like to come in?"

They did so, with the Z-fighters taking seats in the living room; Bulma dragged Kei to another room to talk in private. Cilan had asked the kids be sent away as he didn't want them to hear. Goten and Trunks protested, but a death glare from Vegeta cut that short, and they decided to go play in the woods.

The ex-soldier sat on a chair in front of the TV, while the others looked at him expectedly. He stared at them for a few moments before he finally spoke, "What do you want to know?"

Vegeta spoke up first, "Is Broly your father?"

"Yes."

"How?"

By that point a small silver case had floated its way to Cilan. He opened it up and pulled out a faded yellow envelope, which he handed to the former prince. Opening the packet, said prince found two sheets of paper inside which he unfolded and read quietly.

"That should explain it. It's written in Saiyan, so you should be able to read it," Cilan looked at the others, "It's a letter written by my mother. She included it along with some other personal items when she sent me away from the pirate attack. Shalot died about a decade before I was born, so she was left to fend for herself in the eastern galaxy.

"Word of her had filtered down to the southern galaxy, where Paragus had established New Vegeta by that time. With his son being the legendary Super Saiyan, but insane, the old bastard figured he could make more super saiyans using my mother and conquer the universe. So he had rumors spread in the eastern galaxy about surviving members of saiyans establishing a colony. She took the bait and made the journey there.

"When she arrived on the planet, she was subdued by Paragus and Broly. She was examined and experimented on by a scientist named Krang, though he failed to discover her telepathic abilities. They took Broly's DNA to fertilize several of her eggs, many of which died. I was conceived in the twelfth batch and placed back in her to gestate," Cilan's kept his voice detached.

"After that, she was kept prisoner. Using her cunning and her mind reading, my mother managed to free herself and escape via her space pod. She decided to keep me as she made her way back to the eastern galaxy and had hid as best as she could with me. I was told Shalot was my father and didn't find out about the truth until I read that letter."

The group sat in silence, soaking up what they had just heard. Vegeta decided to voice his thoughts, "An interesting story, but how do we know you didn't make it up?"

He had his arms crossed as he looked to the letter he had tossed on the coffee table, "For all we know, you could have written that yourself."

Cilan was not fazed by that accusation, "Given what happened last week, I don't blame you for doubting me." He turned to Goku then, "You can read my mind, that can prove to you if I'm lying or not."

The older saiyan nodded, and was about to get up, when Piccolo's voice stopped him, "I'll do it. Kami knew how to read people and knows when people hid the truth from him."

The namekian stood next to where the ex-soldier sat, and placed two fingers on the saiyan's forehead. Piccolo closed his eyes as he looked into Cilan's mind. Lasting several seconds, the namekian opened his eyes and looked at the others; stating bluntly, "He's not lying."

Piccolo said nothing else as he sat off to the side of everyone else. Aside from the former saiyan prince, the group was stunned and looked back at Cilan who had his normal glowering face.

Krillin ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the ex-soldier, "That means you were created…"

"To be a weapon," Cilan finished for him; his voice had an edge to it. "Considering how my life turned out, it's probably the only thing I'm good at."

"Don't say that." 18 said loudly. Her normal blue cold eyes were fiery, "You're more than that."

The saiyan was bewildered by her outburst, but shrugged it off and said nothing.

"Why didn't you tell us truth before?" Gohan asked. "When you first landed?"

Cilan snorted, "That would have gone over so well." His voice changed to a mocking tone, "Hey guys, I'm a saiyan that you've never heard of. I'm the son of Broly, the guy that destroyed most of a galaxy, and nearly killed you all. But I'm not a homicidal maniac like he is, so you can totally trust me."

That caused Goku to frown, "We would have taken your word for it."

"Maybe you, but he would have blasted me in a heartbeat," the ex-soldier pointed a thumb at Vegeta. Said saiyan only smirked, as the others stayed quiet.

"Were you ever going to tell us?" Gohan asked anew.

"Not really. I was planning on taking that to the grave to be honest." He noted the look of hurt on some of their faces, "It's nothing personal, but I've grown up to not trust anyone. "

Gohan could only nod in understanding, "What are you going to do now?"

Cilan sat back in his chair as he crossed his arms, "That would depend on you guys."

"What do you mean?" Goku raised his eyebrow at that.

"I'm seen as a threat by Vegeta, if the rest of you feel that way, I'd be willing to pack up and leave," the ex-soldier responded.

The older saiyan scratched the side of his head, "Despite what he thinks, we don't want to force you out. But what do you really want to do?"

"I have nowhere else to go," Cilan responded honestly. "I've grown to like it here and I'd rather stay then go back out into space."

A warm hand was placed on his shoulder then. Looking up, he saw Kei next to him. She was dressed in her red blouse and blue jeans she wore the day before, and her hair was tied in a pony tail. Her eyes were warm and gave him a smile that could ease his mood. The corners of his mouth upturned slightly, and his own eyes lost its edge they usually wore.

Vegeta rolled his eyes, while Goku smiled at the scene, "You can stay Cilan. I know you're a good kid."

"Besides, I don't think his girlfriend would like him leaving," Gohan cut in chuckling.

"Thanks," relief washed over the ex-soldier, but he didn't show it.

They talked for another hour, with Cilan answering question about his new powers. He answered as much as he could, and revealing to them about the voice that told him he could tap into them. As well as that he could only go into that mode under extreme rage. Goku seemed the most interested in Cilan's new abilities. The ex-soldier could only guess that the older saiyan was looking forward to having more challenging sparring matches.

After some idle chit-chat, the assembled group decided to head back home. Goku teleported back as he was told by his older son that his mom vowed to never cook for him again. Gohan left to find his little brother, and Trunks to tell them a sanitized version of Cilan's connection with Broly. Krillin and 18 left as well, though they invited the new couple over for dinner.

Vegeta gave him one last glare, his eyes still full of distrust, before blasting off to CC. Cilan could only look forward to the coming week at the compound. Piccolo left soon afterwards, but not before he commented on the ex-soldiers use of his mental powers last week. The namekian was impressed, but told the saiyan he still needed to practice more.

Bulma was the last to leave. She gave the saiyan a smile, but he saw the pity in her eyes. He knew Kei told her cousin the truth.

"So I'll be seeing you on Monday, Cilan?" The blue haired scientist asked.

The ex-soldier gave her a nod in affirmation.

"Good, you're lucky I'm not docking your pay. Don't worry about Prince Jerk; I'll make sure he doesn't bother you."

Bulma gave her cousin a hug, then left the home to her helicopter. They stepped out on the porch as they watched her take off and head in the direction of West City. Kei held his hand as they looked at the lake, marveling at how the sunlight reflected off of it. The quiet moment was short-lived when familiar noise of a growling stomach was heard.

Cilan raised his eyebrow at Kei, whose pale face was again turning red.

"I haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday," she said meekly.

The saiyan could only chuckle at her, "I still have some food in the fridge, or do you want to go out into town for breakfast?"

The redhead thought about for a beat, "I'd rather stay in."

He nodded and went inside; she followed him after she took one last look outside and smiled at how her fortune had changed in less than a day.

To be continued.


End file.
